Title:

Breeding habitat selection in the house martin Delichon urbica in the city of Valencia (Spain)

Subtitle:

Acta Ornithologica, vol. 37, no. 2 ; Wybiórczość środowiskowa oknówki w mieście Walencji, Hiszpania ; Habitat selection of house martin

Creator:

Murgui, Enrique

Contributor:

Polska Akademia Nauk. Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii

Publisher:

Muzeum i Instytut Zoologii PAN

Place of publishing:

Warszawa

Date issued/created:

2002

Description:

Bibliogr. p. 82-83 ; P. [75]-83 : ill. ; 27 cm ; Abstract in Polish. Taxa in Latin

Type of object:

Journal/Article

Subject and Keywords:

birds ; House Martin ; Spain ; Valencia ; nest-site selection ; habitat selection ; breeding ecology ; swallows ; Delichon urbica ; Hirundinidae ; Aves

Abstract:

The distribution of breeding House Martins was examined in relation to the characteristics of the urban landscape and the structure of the buildings. The study area (73 km2) was divided into 700 x 700 m squares. Ten habitat characteristics were measured within a circle of 300 m radius around each colony. Each nest site was classified according to nest-support-type, its height and orientation. Habitat features around colonies were compared with places at the center of those squares without colonies. Stepwise multiple regression was then used to assess the possible contribution of the independent variables to the size of the colonies. A total of 1399 nests were found, distributed in 120 colonies, mostly consisting of 1-5 nests. In the built-up area, the density reached 31.85 nests per km2. House Martins selected areas with a larger proportion of old buildings and open spaces, and closer to the nearest sources of food or mud. Only the distance from colonies to the nearest mud source and the proportion of open spaces were included in the regression model. As far as nest-sites are concerned, 33% of all nests were built under eaves, 34 % under the ledges of balconies with architectonic ornamentation, and 15 % within balconies. Birds selected nest sites offering better adhesion of nests to the substrate; to compensate for poorer adhesion, the number of nest walls touching other nests was increased. There was a positive relation between nest site height and building height. Nests were not uniformly distributed around the circle, but no clear patterns emerged from the data.

Relation:

Acta Ornithologica

Volume:

37

Issue:

2

Start page:

75

End page:

83

Resource type:

Text

Detailed Resource Type:

Article

Format:

application/pdf

Source:

MiIZ PAN, call no. P.257-37-2 ; MiIZ PAN, call no. P.4568-37-2 ; click here to follow the link

Language:

pol ; eng

Rights:

Rights Reserved - Restricted Access

Terms of use:

Copyright-protected material. Access only on terminals at the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, may be used within the limits of statutory user freedoms.

Digitizing institution:

Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Original in:

Library of the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

Projects co-financed by:

Programme Innovative Economy, 2010-2014, Priority Axis 2. R&D infrastructure ; European Union. European Regional Development Fund

Access:

Closed