Changing nest placement of Hawaiian Common Amakihi during the breeding cycle
The Wilson Bulletin
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Abstract
We studied the nesting behavior of the Common Amakihi (Hemignathus virens) from 1970-1981 on the island of Hawaii to determine if the species alters nest placement over a protracted 9-month breeding season. Birds preferentially chose the southwest quadrant of trees in which to build nests during all phases of the breeding season. It appeared that ambient temperature (Ta) was a contributing factor to differential nest placement between early and late phases of the annual breeding cycle. When Ta is low during the early (December-March) breeding period, Common Amakihi selected exposed nesting locations that benefitted them with maximum solar insolation. However, in the later phase of the breeding period (April-July) when Ta was much higher, renesting birds selected nest sites deeper in the canopy in significantly taller trees. This is one of the few documented examples in which a species changes location of nest during a breeding season, thus allowing exploitation of temporally differing microclimatic conditions.
Suggested Citation
van Riper, C., Kern, M.D., and Sogge, M., 1993, Changing nest placement of Hawaiian Common Amakihi during the breeding cycle: The Wilson Bulletin, v. 105, no. 3, p. 436-447.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Changing nest placement of Hawaiian Common Amakihi during the breeding cycle |
| Series title | The Wilson Bulletin |
| Volume | 105 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Year Published | 1993 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Wilson Bulletin |
| Publisher location | Lawrence, KS |
| Description | 12 p. |
| First page | 436 |
| Last page | 447 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaii |