Breeding biology of the Song Thrush Turdus philomelos in an island population

Bird Study

Volumn 53, Issue 2, 2006, Pages 142-155

  Kelleher, Katherine M ^a   O'Halloran, John ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK   (Ireland)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION; BIOMONITORING; BREEDING SEASON; CLUTCH SIZE; EGG PREDATION; NEST PREDATION; NESTLING; SONGBIRD; SURVIVAL;

COUNTY CORK; EURASIA; EUROPE; IRELAND; MUNSTER [IRELAND]; WESTERN EUROPE;

AVES; MAMMALIA; TURDUS PHILOMELOS;

EID: 33745748167     PISSN: 00063657     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/00063650609461427     Document Type: Article

References (81)

1. Aalen, F.H.A., Whelan, K. & Stout, M. (eds) 1997. Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape. Cork University Press, Cork.
2. Aebischer, N.J. 1999. Multi-way comparisons and generalized linear models of nest success: extensions of the Mayfield method. Bird Study 46 (suppl.): S22-S31.
3. Baillie, S.R. 1990. Integrated population monitoring of breeding birds in Britain and Ireland. Ibis 132: 151-166.
4. Baillie, S.R., Crick, H.Q.P., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Leech, D.I., Marchant, J.H., Noble, D.G., Raven, M.J., Simpkin, A.P., Thewlis, R.M. & Wernham, C.V. 2002. Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: Their Conservation Status 2001. BTO Research Report No. 278. BTO, Therford.
5. Bang, P. 2001. Animal Tracks and Signs. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
6. Blondel, J. 2000. Evolution and ecology of birds on islands: trends and prospects. Vie Milieu 50: 205-220.
7. Blondel, J., Chessel, D. & Frochot, B. 1988. Bird species impoverishment, niche expansion, and density inflation in Mediterranean island habitats. Ecology 69: 1899-1917.
8. Cabot, D. 1985. The State of the Environment. An Foras Forbatha, Dublin.
9. Chamberlain, D.E. 2002. Effects of agricultural intensification on birds: evidence from monitoring data. Birds and Agriculture: 1-10. Aspects of Applied Biology 67. The Association of Applied Biologists, UK.
10. Chamberlain, D.E., Fuller, R.J., Bunce, R.G.H., Duckworth, J.C. & Shrubb, M. 2000. Changes in the abundance of farmland birds in relation to the timing of agricultural intensification in England and Wales. J. Appl. Ecol. 37: 771-788.
11. Cody, M.L. 1966. A general theory of clutch size. Evolution 20: 174-184.
12. Coombes, D. 2003. Most species faring well. Five years on, the Countryside Bird Survey shows few species in decline and positive trends for most. Wings no. 31, Winter. BirdWatch Ireland, Wicklow.
13. Cramp, S. (ed.) 1988. The Birds of the Western Palearctic, Vol. 5. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
14. Crick, H.Q.P., Gibbons, D.W. & MacGrath, R.D. 1993. Seasonal changes in clutch size in British birds. J. Anim. Ecol. 62: 263-273.
15. Crick, H.Q.P., Baillie, S.R. & Leech, D.I. 2003. The U.K. Nest Record Scheme: its value for science and conservation. Bird Study 50: 254-270.
16. Cummins, S.T. & O'Halloran, J. 2003a. The breeding biology of the stonechat Saxicola torquata in southwest Ireland. Irish Birds 7: 177-186.
17. Cummins, S.T. & O'Halloran, J. 2003b. Biometrics of nestling and adult Stonechats Saxicola torquata in southwest Ireland. Ring. Migr. 21: 155-162.
18. Dycrz, A. 1963. Comparative studies on the avifauna of wood and park. Acta Ornithol. 7: 381-385.
19. Dycrz, A. 1969. The ecology of the Song-thrush (Turdus philomelos Br.) and Blackbird (Turdus merula L.) Ekol. Polsk. 17: 735-790.
20. Eaton, M.A., Noble, D.G., Cranswick, P.A., Carter, N., Wotton, S., Ratcliffe, N., Wilson, A., Hilton, G.M. & Gregory, R.D. 2004. The State of the UK's Birds 2003. BTO, RSPB and WWT, Sandy.
21. Fennessy, G.J. 2001. Aspects of the Ecology of the Robin, Erithacus rubecula I. PhD thesis, National University of Ireland, Cork.
22. Fuller, R., Hill, D. & Tucker, G. 1991. Feeding the birds down on the farm: perspectives from Britain. Ambio 20: 232-237.
23. Fuller, R.J., Gregory, R.D., Gibbons, D.W., Marchant, J.H., Wilson, J.D., Baillie, S.R. & Carter, N. 1995. Population declines and range contractions among lowland farmland birds in Britain. Conserv. Biol. 9: 1425-1441.
24. Gibbons, D.W., Reid, J.B. & Chapman, R.A. 1993. The New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland 1988-1991. T. & A.D. Poyser, Staffs.
25. Gibbons, D.W., Avery, M.I., Baillie, S.R., Gregory, R.D., Kirby, J., Porter, R.F., Tucker, G.M. & Williams, G. 1996. Bird Species of Conservation Concern in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands & Isle of Man: Revising the Red Data List. RSPB Conservation Review, Sandy.
26. GoEurope website 2005. Europe climate-historic averages. www.goeurope.about.com/od/historicclimate/ [January 2005].
27. Gruar, D., Peach, W. & Taylor, R. 2003. Summer diet and body condition of Song Thrush Turdus philomelos in stable and declining farmland populations. Ibis 145: 637-649.
28. Hartley, I.R., Royle, N.J. & Shepherd, M. 2000. Growth rates of nestling Corn Buntings Miliaria calandra in relation to their sex. Ibis 142: 668-671.
29. Hensler, G.L. 1985. Estimation and comparison of functions of daily nest survival probabilities using the Mayfield method. In Morgan B.J.T. & North P.M. (eds) Lecture Notes in Statistics 29: 289-301. Springer-Verlag, New York.
30. Hensler, G.L. & Nichol, J.D. 1981. The Mayfield method of estimating nesting success: a model, estimators and simulation results. Wilson Bull. 93: 42-53.
31. Holyoak, D. 1968. A comparative study of the food of some British Corvidae. Bird Study 15: 147-153.
32. Johnson, D.H. 1979. Estimating nest success: the Mayfield method and an alternative. Auk 96: 651-661.
33. Lack, D. 1947. The significance of clutch-size. Ibis 89: 302-352.
34. Ludvig, E., Vanicsek, L., Torok, J. & Csorgo, T. 1995. Seasonal variation of clutch size in the European blackbird Turdus merula: a new explanation. J. Anim. Ecol. 64: 85-94.
35. Lysaght, L.S. 1989. Breeding bird populations of farmland in midwest Ireland in 1987. Bird Study 36: 91-98.
36. MacArthur, R.F., Diamond, J.M. & Karr, J. 1972. Density compensation in island faunas. Ecology 53: 330-342.
37. Mayfield, H. 1961. Nesting success calculated from exposure. Wilson Bull. 73: 255-261.
38. Mayfield, H. 1975. Suggestions for calculating nest success. Wilson Bull. 87: 456-466.
39. Met Eireann. 2001. Monthly Weather Bulletin, nos. 180-183. Dublin.
40. Met Eireann. 2002. Monthly Weather Bulletin, nos. 192-195. Dublin.
41. Met Eireann. 2003. Monthly Weather Bulletin, nos. 204-207. Dublin.
42. Moles, R.T. & Breen, J. 1995. Long-term changes within lowland farmland bird communities in relation to field boundary attributes. Biol. Environ. Proc. R. Irish Acad. 95B: 203-215.
43. Myers, M.T. 1955. The breeding of Blackbird, Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush in Great Britain. Part I. Breeding seasons. Bird Study 2: 2-24.
44. Newton, I. 2004. The recent declines of farmland bird populations in Britain: an appraisal of causal factors and conservation actions. Ibis 146: 579-600.
45. Newton, S., Donaghy, A., Allen, D. & Gibbons, D. 1999. Birds of conservation concern in Ireland. Irish Birds 6: 333-342.
46. Nilsson, S.O., Bjorkman, C., Forslund, P. & Hoglund, J. 1985. Egg predation in forest bird communities on islands and the mainland. Oecologia 66: 511-515.
47. O'Connor, R.J. 1986. Biological characteristics of invaders among bird species in Britain. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 314: 583-598.
48. O'Connor, R.J. & Shrubb, M. 1986. Farming and Birds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
49. Owen, D.F. 1956. The food of nestling jays and magpies. Bird Study 3: 257-265.
50. Owen, D.F. 1977. Latitudinal gradients in clutch size: and extension of David Lack's theory. In Stonehouse, B. & Perrins, C. (eds) Evolutionary Ecology: 171-179. MacMillan, London.
51. Paradis, E., Baillie, S.R., Sutherland, W.J., Dudley, C., Crick, H.Q.P. & Gregory, R.D. 2000. Large-scale spatial variation in the breeding performance of Song Thrush Turdus philomelos and Blackbirds T. merula in Britain. J. Appl. Ecol. 37 (suppl. 1): 73-87.
52. Peach, W.J., Siriwardena, G.M. & Gregory, R.D. 1999. Long-term changes in over-winter survival rates explain the decline of reed buntings Emberiza schoeniclus in Britain. J. Appl. Ecol. 36: 798-811.
53. Peach, W.J., Denny, M., Cotton, P.A., Hill, I.F., Gruar, D., Barritt, D., Impey, A. & Mallard, J. 2004. Habitat selection by Song Thrushes in stable and declining farmland populations. J. Appl. Ecol. 41: 275-293.
54. Pikula, J. 1969. Contribution towards the knowledge of ecology and breeding biology of Turdus philomelos in Czechoslovakia. Zool. Listy. 18: 313-368.
55. Reed, T. 1981. The number of breeding landbird species on British Islands. J. Anim. Ecol. 50: 613-624.
56. Ricklefs, R.E. 1980. Geographical variation in clutch size among passerine birds: Ashmole's hypothesis. Auk 97: 38-49.
57. Robinson, R.A., Green, R.A., Baillie, S.R., Peach, W.J. & Thomson, D.L. 2004. Demographic mechanisms of the population decline of the Song Thrush Turdus philomelos in Britain. J. Anim. Ecol. 73: 670-682.
58. Royle, N.J., Hartley, I.R., Owens, I.P.F. & Parker, G.A. 1999. Sibling competition and the evolution of growth rates in birds. Proc. R. Soc. 266: 923-932.
59. SAS Institute Inc. 2000. SAS OnlineDoc ® Version 8. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.
60. Schnack, S. 1991. The breeding biology and nestling diet of the Blackbird Turdus merula L. and the Song Thrush Turdus philomelos C.L.Brehm in Vienna and in an adjacent wood. Acta. Ornithol. 26: 85-103.
61. Sharrock, J.T.R. 1976. The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. Hazell, Watson & Viney, Bucks., UK.
62. Silva, E.T. 1949. Nest records of the Song-thrush. Br. Birds 42: 97-111.
63. Siriwardena, G.M., Baillie, S.R. & Wilson, J.D. 1998. Variation in the survival rates of some British passerines with respect to their population trends on farmland. Bird Study 45: 276-292.
64. Siriwardena, G.M., Baillie, S.R., Crick, H.Q.P. & Wilson, J.D. 2000. The importance of variation in the breeding performance of seed-eating birds in determining their population trends on farmland. J. Appl. Ecol. 37: 128-148.
65. Sleeman, P. 1989. Stoats and Weasels, Polecats and Martens. Whittet Books, London.
66. Smiddy, P. & O'Halloran, J. 1998. Breeding biology of the grey wagtail Motacilla cinerea in southwest Ireland. Bird Study 45: 331-336.
67. Smiddy, P., O'Halloran, J., O'Mahony, B. & Taylor, A. 1995. The breeding biology of the dipper Cinclus cinclus in south-west Ireland. Bird Study 42: 76-81.
68. Snow, D.W. 1955a. The breeding of the blackbird, Song Thrush, and Mistle Thrush in Great Britain. Part II. Clutch-size. Bird Study 2: 72-84.
69. Snow, D.W. 1955b. The breeding of Blackbird, Song Thrush and Mistle thrush in Great Britain. Part III. Nesting success. Bird Study 2: 169-178.
70. Stanners, D. & Bourdeau, P. (eds) 1995. Europe's Environment. The Dobris Assessment. European Environment Agency, Copenhagen.
71. Stoate, C. & Szczur, J. 2001. Could game management have a role in the conservation of farmland passerines? A case study from a Leicestershire farm. Bird Study 48: 279-292.
72. Tatner, P. 1983. The diet of urban Magpies Pica pica. Ibis 125: 90-107.
73. Thomson, D.L. & Cotton, P.A. 2000. Understanding the decline of the British population of Song Thrushes Turdus philomelos. In Aebischer, N.J., Evans, A.D., Grice, P.V. & Vickery, J.A. (eds) Ecology and Conservation of Lowland Farmland Birds: 151-155. British Ornithologists' Union, Tring.
74. Thomson, D.L., Baillie, S.R. & Peach, W.J. 1997. The demography and age-specific annual survival of Song Thrushes during periods of population stability and decline. J. Anim. Ecol. 66: 414-424.
75. Török, J. 1985. Comparative ecological studies on Blackbird (Turdus merula) and Song Thrush (T. Philomelos) populations I. Nutritional ecology. Opusc. Zool. Budapest. 21: 105-117.
76. Tucker, G.M. & Dixon, J. 1997. Agricultural and grassland habitats. In Tucker, G.M. & Evans, M.I. (eds) Habitats for Birds in Europe: A Conservation Strategy for the Wider Environment: 267-325. BirdLife Conservation Series No. 6. BirdLife International, Cambridge.
77. Tucker, G.M. & Heath, M.F. 1994. Birds in Europe: Their Conservation Status. BirdLife Conservation Series No. 3. BirdLife International, Cambridge.
78. Tyler, G.A. & Green, R.E. 2004. Effects of weather on the survival and growth of Corncrake Crex crex chicks. Ibis 146: 69-76.
79. Vickery, J.A., Tallowin, J.R., Feber, R.E., Asteraki, E.J., Atkinson, P.W., Fuller, R.J. & Brown, V.K. 2001. The man agement of lowland neutral grasslands in Britain: effects of agricultural practices on birds and their food resources. J. Appl. Ecol. 38: 647-664.
80. Weidinger, K. 2001. Laying dates and clutch size of open-nesting passerines in the Czech Republic: a comparison of systematically and incidentally collected data. Bird Study 48: 38-47.
81. Wesołowski ,T. & Czapulak, A. 1986. Breeding biology of Blackbird and Song Thrush in Poland - a preliminary analysis of nest record cards. Notatki. Ornitholog. 27: 31-60.