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Ferruginous Hawks Buteo regalis alter parental behaviours in response to approaching storms

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Abstract

Heavy and frequent rain, low temperatures, and strong winds may decrease adult foraging time, cause thermoregulatory stress on nestlings, and lead to nest damage or destruction, all of which can negatively affect breeding success. However, certain parental behaviours can mitigate these potentially negative effects of inclement weather. We examined how parents could mitigate these negative weather effects by adjusting three behaviours—nest attendance, prey deliveries, and nest maintenance—before, during, and after storms at 11 nests of the at-risk Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) in Canada. Female adults spent an increasing amount of time on the nest as wind speed increased. Similar numbers of prey were delivered before and after storms, suggesting that Ferruginous Hawks do not compensate for lost foraging time. They appeared to demonstrate an ability to detect approaching storms, possibly by responding to falling barometric pressure cues, and may have mitigated the risk of nest damage by increasing their nest maintenance behaviours. Our study is among the first to observe storm preparation behaviour, and indicates that some raptorial birds have the ability to alter nesting behaviour in response to approaching inclement weather.

Zusammenfassung

Königsbussarde (Buteo regalis) verändern das elterliche Verhalten bei heraufziehenden Stürmen Starke und andauernde Regenfälle, niedrige Temperaturen und starke Winde können die Zeit der Nahrungssuche von Adulten verringern. Dies verursacht thermoregulatorischen Stress bei den Nestlingen und kann zu Schaden oder Vernichtung der Brut führen, was insgesamt den Bruterfolg negativ beeinflussen kann. Dennoch können bestimmte elterliche Verhaltensweisen diese potentiell negativen Schlecht-Wetter-Effekte abmildern. Wir untersuchten, wie Eltern diese negativen Wettereinflüsse durch die Anpassung von drei Verhaltensweisen abschwächen konnten: Anwesenheit am Nest, Beuteübergaben und Brutpflege vor, während und nach Stürmen an 11 Nestern des gefährdeten Königsbussard (Buteo regalis) in Kanada. Adulte Weibchen verbrachten mehr Zeit auf dem Nest mit zunehmender Windgeschwindigkeit und stärker werdenden Regenfällen. Vor und nach den Stürmen wurden ähnliche Anzahlen an Beuteobjekten eingetragen, was darauf hindeutet, dass Königsbussarde verlorene Zeiten zur Nahrungssuche nicht kompensieren. Königsbussarde scheinen die Fähigkeit zu haben, heraufziehende Stürme zu erkennen, in dem sie auf fallenden Luftdruck reagieren und das Risiko eines Brutverlustes durch zunehmende Brutpflege minimieren. Unsere Studie gehört zu den ersten, die sturmvorbereitendes Verhalten beobachten konnte und zeigt, dass Greifvögel in der Lage sind, ihr Brutverhalten als Antwort auf raue Witterungsbedingungen anzupassen.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the numerous field and research assistants who helped make this project a success, as well as the following funding partners for their support: Canadian Wildlife Service/Environment Canada, Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation, Nexen Inc., AltaLink, L.P., Cenovus Energy, Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada, Suncor Energy, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Canadian Department of National Defence, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Alberta Conservation Association, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, and Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks & Wildlife Foundation. All research was performed according to Canadian law. Comments from two anonymous reviewers greatly improved previous versions of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada

    Chelsey M. Laux, Cameron J. Nordell, Ryan J. Fisher, Janet W. Ng, Troy I. Wellicome & Erin M. Bayne

  2. Environment Canada, 9250 49 St NW, Edmonton, AB, T6B 1K5, Canada

    Troy I. Wellicome

Authors
  1. Chelsey M. Laux
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  2. Cameron J. Nordell
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  3. Ryan J. Fisher
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  4. Janet W. Ng
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Correspondence to Cameron J. Nordell.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. This project was approved by University of Alberta Animal Care (#724).

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Communicated by O. Krüger.

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Laux, C.M., Nordell, C.J., Fisher, R.J. et al. Ferruginous Hawks Buteo regalis alter parental behaviours in response to approaching storms. J Ornithol 157, 355–362 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1288-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1288-0

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