Summary
Correlations between warmth sum and egg laying in tits (Paridae) were often found but do not prove that there is a direct influence of temperature on egg laying date. Such correlations are also open to criticism because they involve a statistical bias (i. e. the selection of variables). Studies of a Blue Tit population in two close but different habitats in Mediterranean France showed that it is better, at least, to consider a time period with a physiological signification (1 January–10 April). We found that the higher the mean temperature in this time period, the earlier the egg laying commenced. Egg laying dates of the Blue Tit in the two habitats are primarily attributed to habitat-related feeding resources.
Zusammenfassung
Die zahlreich publizierten Korrelationen zwischen Wärmesummen und Beginn der jährlichen Legeperiode bei Meisen (Paridae), bilden keinen Beweis für einen direkten Einfluß der Temperatur auf den Legebeginn. Solche Korrelationnen beruhen außerdem auf statistische fraglichen Auswertungen. Untersuchungen an einer Blaumeisenpopulation (Parus caeruleus) in zwei benachbarten, aber verschiedenen Bruthabitaten im mediterranen Südfrankreich zeigten, daß höchstens ein längerer Zeitabschnitt (1. Januar bis 10. April) mit physiologischer Bedeutung in Betracht zu ziehen ist. Je höher die Durchschnittstemperatur in dieser Periode, um so früher der Legebeginn, der jedoch hauptsächlich durch die zeitlich unterschiedlichen Nahrungsangebote in den beiden untersuchten Habitaten erklärt wird.
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Bellot, M.D., Dervieux, A. & Isenmann, P. Relationship between temperature and the timing of breeding of the Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) in two Mediterranean oakwoods. J Ornithol 132, 297–301 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01640538
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01640538