Article Abstract:
Hatching failure in the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) depends on the clutch size, the size of the eggs in a clutch, the place of the eggs in the laying sequence, and difference in age of female and male parents. Hatchability is lower with smaller egg size, the size effect being greater in fertile than infertile eggs. Larger clutches have lower hatching rates, whereas female condition during incubation and clutch initiation date have no effect on hatching success. An intermediate position in the clutch favors hatchability. Hatching rate is lower in pairs formed between older females and yearling males than in other pairs.
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Article Abstract:
The arrival time of male Pied Flycatchers from spring migration in central Spain was investigated from 1988-1991. Heritability and repeatability studies were conducted at various levels of familial resemblance and male age to find out whether arrival times are similar for individuals between years and between relatives. Results showed that arrival time is a primary cause for variations in laying time and number of young fledged.
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Article Abstract:
The Pied Flycatchers in southern Europe prefer clean, empty boxes to those with old nest material to avoid negative-effect ectoparasitism. This is in contrast to the behavior of the majority of bird species who do not remove the old nest material prior to breeding and choose earlier used cavities for nesting. However, in doing so, these birds are more exposed to infestation by nest electoparasites.
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