Abstract

CRUZ-BERNATE, Lorena. Nest defense behavior, predator recognition and breeding success in Vanellus chilensis (Aves: Charadriidae). Bol. Cient. Mus. Hist. Nat. Univ. Caldas [online]. 2020, vol.24, n.1, pp.103-118. ISSN 0123-3068.  https://doi.org/10.17151/bccm.2020.24.1.7.

The defense of the nest presents great inter and intraspecific variation often associated with differences in the social system or the type of threat. The Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) is known for the vigorous nest defense against predators, however, this response can vary from silent flight with distraction maneuvers to the predator (passive defense), to strident flights of direct attack on predators (defense active). This study examines the relationship between the behavioral patterns of nest defense, nature of nearby stimuli, embryonic development and reproductive success of the Southern Lapwing in the wild in Colombia. Ringed and reproductively active pairs were submitted to three stimuli that represented potential threats to the nest (walking person, rider and tractor) and their behavioral responses were classified into different categories according to their intensity. The defense of the nest varied according to the stage of embryonic development of the chicks; with an early embryonic development, the defense was mainly passive and as the embryonic development advanced, the active defense was increased. The rider was the stimulus that triggered the greatest active defense while, before the walking person and the tractor, the response was mainly passive. The distance at which the birds left the nests on the approach of a stimulus correlated with the nature of the same. Adults tolerated the tractor closer to the nest than to the stimuli of walking person and rider, which suggests discrimination between stimuli. The males performed twice as direct attack flights as the females. Reproductive success was not correlated with the category of defense intensity of the manifested nest or with the clucht size.

Keywords : aggression; Colombia; embryonic development; parental care; predation; Southern Lapwing.

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