Winter survival and territory acquisition in a northern population of black-capped chickadees
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Published source details
Desrochers A., Hannon S.J. & Nordin K.E. (1988) Winter survival and territory acquisition in a northern population of black-capped chickadees. The Auk, 105, 727-736.
Published source details Desrochers A., Hannon S.J. & Nordin K.E. (1988) Winter survival and territory acquisition in a northern population of black-capped chickadees. The Auk, 105, 727-736.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Provide supplementary food for songbirds to increase adult survival Action Link |
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Provide supplementary food for songbirds to increase adult survival
A controlled study in the winters of 1985-6 and 1986-7 in two small deciduous forest sites in Alberta, Canada (Desrochers et al. 1988), found that winter survival of black-capped chickadees Parus atricapillus was higher in the 2.6 km2 area provided with supplementary food, compared to the 1.9 km2control (unfed) area (1985-6: 88% of 163 birds in the fed area vs. 80% of 143 controls; 1986-7: 65% of 192 vs. 53% of 137). However, there were no significant differences in the proportion of chickadees acquiring local breeding territories, or in local breeding densities (1986: 54% of fed birds acquiring local breeding territories and 15.3 pairs/km2 vs. 66% and 17.2 pairs/km2 for controls; 1987: 66% and 16.1 pairs/km2 vs. 71% and 14.0 pairs/km2). Supplementary food consisted of multiple feeding stations, each with between two and four feeders, filled weekly with sunflower seeds.
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