Abstract
Aerial insectivorous birds depend highly on favourable weather conditions for successful foraging because flight activity of insects is constrained by daily weather. Thus, the variation in weather conditions during reproduction, mediated by prey limitations, should be mirrored in annual reproduction performance, and finally in annual breeding success. We analysed the effect of local weather conditions on the availability of airborne insects and on the variation in brood size and nestling condition of European bee-eaters Merops apiaster at the northern edge of their range where years with adverse weather frequently occur. The availability of large flying insects, the common prey of bee-eaters, increased with air temperatures and duration of daily sunshine. As predicted, local weather conditions affected reproductive performance with annual breeding success (mean 3.7 nestlings per breeding pair, range 1.7–4.9 nestlings) being up to 32 % higher in extraordinary dry and hot summers. Additionally, a nestling's body condition (residual mass) was also affected by sunshine duration during their growth period and internally was co-affected by the number of siblings and the individual rank within the sibling hierarchy. Thus, a prolonged duration of daily sunshine causes a cascade from higher insect flight activity, and, thus, higher food availability for chick-rearing bee-eaters, which finally translates into better chick body conditions and higher annual breeding success. Consequently reproduction and population development of European bee-eaters might be especially susceptible to regional changes in weather and climatic conditions.
Zusammenfassung
Deutlicher Dominoeffekt der Witterungsbedingungen auf Nahrungsverfügbarkeit und jährliche Reproduktionsleistung beim Bienenfressern Merops apiaster Für einen erfolgreichen Nahrungserwerb sind Jäger von Fluginsekten stark von Wetterbedingungen abhängig, da die Flugaktivität der Insekten maßgeblich durch die lokale Witterung beeinflusst wird. Deshalb sollten sich Witterungsschwankungen während der Brutzeit in einer Reduktion der verfügbaren Beute und damit in der Reproduktionsleistung und dem jährlichen Bruterfolg widerspiegeln. Wir analysierten die Auswirkung der lokalen Witterungsbedingungen auf die Verfügbarkeit von Fluginsekten sowie die Brutgröße und die Kükenkondition von Bienenfressern Merops apiaster am nördlichen Rand des Verbreitungsgebiets. Die Verfügbarkeit von großen Fluginsekten, der Hauptbeute von Bienenfressern, stieg mit höheren Lufttemperaturen und längerer Sonnenscheindauer an. Die lokale Witterung schlug sich, wie erwartet in der Reproduktionsleistung nieder: in trockenen und heißen Sommern lag der Bruterfolg um 32 % höher als im 11jährigen Mittel von 3,7 Jungvögel pro Brutpaar (Spanne: 1,7-4,9 Jungvögel). Zusätzlich fanden wir einen positiven Zusammenhang zwischen der Sonnenscheindauer während der Wachstumsphase und der Körperkondition der Nestlinge. Die Kükenkondition wurde aber ebenfalls durch die Brutgröße und den individuellen Rang innerhalb der Geschwisterhierarchie beeinflusst. Folglich führte ein Dominoeffekt von längerer Sonnenscheindauer zu höherer Insektenaktivität und damit zu einem begünstigten Jagderfolg der Bienenfresser und verbesserter Versorgung der Nachkommen. Dies schlug sich letztendlich in einer besseren Körperkondition der Nestlinge und einem höheren jährlichen Bruterfolg nieder. Somit könnten die jährlichen Reproduktionsleistungen und die Populationsentwicklung von Bienenfressern in suboptimalen Teilen des Verbreitungsgebietes besonders anfällig für Änderungen der Wetter- und Klimabedingungen sein.
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Acknowledgments
We thank all enthusiasts in the field, who have fundamentally contributed to the long-term data set, F. Korner-Nievergelt for statistical advice, and K. Fischer, F. Liechti, and G. Pasinelli for valuable comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript. This study is part of the species-ringing programme coordinated by I. Todte, M. Schulze, and the Hiddensee Bird Ringing Centre, Greifswald (Germany).
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Communicated by F. Bairlein.
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Arbeiter, S., Schulze, M., Tamm, P. et al. Strong cascading effect of weather conditions on prey availability and annual breeding performance in European bee-eaters Merops apiaster . J Ornithol 157, 155–163 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1262-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1262-x