Breeding biology of the European Blackbird Turdus merula in orange orchards

Autor: Ali Zeraoula, Taqiyeddine Bensouilah, Hafid Brahmia, Zihad Bouslama, Moussa Houhamdi, Ahmed Kerfouf
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of King Saud University: Science, Vol 28, Iss 4, Pp 300-307 (2016)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1018-3647
DOI: 10.1016/j.jksus.2015.10.005
Popis: During two successive years (2013–2014), we studied the breeding ecology of the European Blackbird Turdus merula in Guelma province, north-east of Algeria. The study was carried out in orange orchards of the region. We investigated nest placement in the orange trees and determined the factors of reproductive failure at this study area. Nests were placed at low height (mean ± SD = 1.42 ± 0.04 m) and located near the trunk (mean ± SD = 0.61 ± 0.04 m). The breeding season occurred between mid-May and mid-June and the peak of egg laying took place during the first half of May. The mean clutch size was 2.96 ± 0.05, density of breeding pairs was 0.83 ± 0.30 p/ha. The breeding success reported in the present study was higher than that recorded in other studies. Predation was the leading cause of nest failure of the population under investigation. The present study shows that the orange orchards appear to be the preferred breeding area for Blackbird population.
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