Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Dynamics in numbers of group-roosting individuals in relation to pair-sleeping occurrence and onset of egg-laying in European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster. / Pârâu, Liviu G. (Corresponding author); Kingma, Sjouke A.; Weigl, Simon E.; Dugdale, Hannah L.; Lessells, Catherine M.; Schroeder, Julia.
In: Journal of Ornithology, Vol. 158, No. 4, 10.2017, p. 1119-1122.Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Dynamics in numbers of group-roosting individuals in relation to pair-sleeping occurrence and onset of egg-laying in European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster
AU - Pârâu, Liviu G.
AU - Kingma, Sjouke A.
AU - Weigl, Simon E.
AU - Dugdale, Hannah L.
AU - Lessells, Catherine M.
AU - Schroeder, Julia
N1 - 6397, AnE; Data archiving: no NIOO data
PY - 2017/10
Y1 - 2017/10
N2 - Sleeping in the nest at the beginning of the breeding season is common for birds nesting in cavities. Here, we report evidence that European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster sleep in pairs in the nesting burrow. In 3.2% of the nest checks, we found two individuals sleeping together. This behaviour ceased once hatching started. A decrease in the number of birds at a communal roost coincided with the incidences of pair-sleeping and initiation of egg-laying. Thus, checking the burrows of European Bee-eaters at the beginning of the breeding season increases the chance of observing pair-sleeping.
AB - Sleeping in the nest at the beginning of the breeding season is common for birds nesting in cavities. Here, we report evidence that European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster sleep in pairs in the nesting burrow. In 3.2% of the nest checks, we found two individuals sleeping together. This behaviour ceased once hatching started. A decrease in the number of birds at a communal roost coincided with the incidences of pair-sleeping and initiation of egg-laying. Thus, checking the burrows of European Bee-eaters at the beginning of the breeding season increases the chance of observing pair-sleeping.
KW - international
U2 - 10.1007/s10336-017-1468-1
DO - 10.1007/s10336-017-1468-1
M3 - Article
VL - 158
SP - 1119
EP - 1122
JO - Journal of Ornithology
JF - Journal of Ornithology
SN - 0021-8375
IS - 4
ER -
ID: 5636925