THE USE OF SOCIAL INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTING AND NEST SITE SELECTION BY WESTERN BLUEBIRDS (SIALIA MEXICANA)

Fatime W Jomaa; Cal Poly Humboldt; fwj2@humboldt.edu; Matthew D. Johnson, Cody Pham

Habitat selection in birds holds important implications for fitness and conservation practices. Social information, in tandem with habitat cues, may provide an efficient way for an individual to assess future breeding site quality. We investigated the hypothesis that prospecting Western Bluebirds use post-breeding social information to select nest sites the following year across winegrape vineyards in Napa Valley. In late summer of 2023, 10 vineyards without a history of nest boxes received 20 boxes each (n=200). On five vineyards, 12 boxes received a three-day experimental treatment using playback and an old nest to simulate reproductive success (n=60). We filmed experimental boxes during the treatment period, as well as nearby boxes within range of the vocalizations (near-treatment, n=30), and boxes located on the 5 vineyards with no treatment at all (control, n=30). Boxes were re-visited during the summer of 2024 to determine timing of use and occupying species, and to collect local habitat data. We found that Western Bluebirds preferred boxes near isolated tree patches, and the effectiveness of social information on nest selection was mediated by habitat. Video analysis will determine whether prospecting visitation rates influence probability of future nest box use.

Wildlife and Agriculture I   Student Paper