AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Interference by House Sparrows in Nesting Activities of Barn Swallows (Interferencia de Passer domesticus en el Anidamiento de Hirundo rustica)

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1989
Authors:A. Weisheit, S, Creighton, PD
Journal:Journal of Field Ornithology
Volume:60
Issue:3
Date Published:1989
ISBN Number:02738570
Keywords:Hirundinidae, Hirundo, Hirundo rustica, Passer, Passer domesticus, Passeridae
Abstract:We document occurrences of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) interfering with Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) nests during the breeding seasons of 1978-1981. Interference took three forms: (1) removal of the nest lining, (2) removal or pecking of eggs, and (3) removal or pecking of nestlings. House Sparrows removed the nest lining from nests on six occasions, and were responsible for 20 deaths of nestling swallows. We suspect sparrow involvement in 15 other deaths of nestling swallow and 42 broken swallow eggs. We did not observe intraspecific interference (infanticide), although it may have been the cause of some egg losses and nestling deaths. Sparrow interference reduced the reproductive output of the colony by 44.7% over the 4 yr of the study. We suggest that sparrow interference is nonadaptive in this instance as no benefits to the sparrows were observed. /// En este trabajo se documenta la interferencia del gorrión Passer domesticus en el anidamiento de la golondrina Hirundo rustica. Los gorriones interfirieron de tres formas: (1) removiendo material de anidamiento, (2) picotendo o removiendo huevos y (3) picoteando o removiendo pichones de los nidos. Los gorriones removieron material de anidamiento en 6 ocasiones y fueron responsables de la muerte de 20 pichones de las golondrinas. Se sospecha que los gorriones estuvieron además envueltos en otras 15 muertes de pichones y en la destrucción de 42 huevos. No se observó interferencia intraespecífica (infanticidio), aunque se sugiere que puede haber sido la causa de perdida de huevos y mortandad de pichones. En cuatro años de estudio (1978-1981) la interferencia por parte de los gorriones, redujo la productividad de las golondrinas en 44.7%. Los autores sugieren que la interferencia muy bien podría ser no adaptativa, ya que aparentemente los gorriones no deribaron beneficio de esto.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/4513448
Short Title:Journal of Field Ornithology
Taxonomic name: 
Hirundinidae (Birds), Hirundo (Birds), Hirundo rustica (Birds), Hirundo rustica (Birds), Passer (Birds), Passer domesticus (Birds), Passeridae (Birds)
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