Reduce nest ectoparasites by providing beneficial nesting material

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

15%
Certainty

13%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Some birds incorporate sprigs of volatile-rich plants into their nests, possibly as a method of reducing parasite burdens. Adding similar material may therefore represent a low-cost method of reducing the impact of parasites on nestlings.

Study locations

Key messages

A randomised, replicated and controlled experiment in Canada found lower numbers of some, but not all, parasites in nests provided with beneficial nesting material, but that there was no effect on fledging rates or chick condition.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A randomised, replicated and controlled experiment in 2000 at four sites in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada (Shutler & Campbell 2007) found that the number of purple martin fleas Ceratophyllus idius was significantly lower in tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor nests with fresh yarrow Achillea millefolium foliage added every two days whilst clutches were being laid, compared to control nests with no added foliage (419 fleas/nest for 23 experiomental nests vs. 773 fleas/nest for 44 controls). There were no corresponding differences in the number of blowfly Protocalliphora spp. pupae (3.3 and 2.5 pupae/nest for experimental and control nests respectively), nestling mass (23.5 g in experimental nests vs. 23.8 g in controls), nestling leukocyte profiles, or proportion of young fledging (5.3 fledglings/nest for experimental nests vs. 5.1 fledglings/nest for controls). The authors speculate that adult tree swallows may increase provisioning rate to compensate for flea parasitism.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Shutler D. & Campbell A.A. (2007) Experimental addition of greenery reduces flea loads in nests of a non-greenery using species, the tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor. Journal of Avian Biology (formerly Ornis Scandinavica 1970-1993), 38, 7-12.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Remove brood parasite eggs from target species’ nests Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	2	Synopsis Link
Reduce nest ectoparasites by providing beneficial nesting material Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Remove/control adult brood parasites Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	12	Synopsis Link