Monitoring nesting activity of northern house wrens across three locations in San Joaquin county
Faculty Mentor Name
Karan J. Odom
Research or Creativity Area
Natural Sciences
Abstract
Male temperate breeding songbirds often show a dramatic change in singing behavior at the start of the breeding season. At this time, male songbirds transition from singing almost no songs to singing up to hundreds of songs an hour. Until recently, it was thought that female songbirds sang very little or not at all. However, in some species, like the house wrens (Troglodytes adeon) that we study, female singing behavior is different than in males. Some females sing a lot, although most females sing for much shorter periods of the breeding season (days to weeks compared to 1-2 months in males). Our ultimate goal is to understand the hormones and social cues that mediate this rapid and ephemeral onset of female song in the house wren. To do this, we need to monitor the breeding activity of each individual bird to know the breeding stage when they sing. We monitor a total of 105 nest boxes at three study sites: Waldo Holt Preserve, Heritage Oak, and McDonald Island. We note the status of the nest development during nest building, whether the male or female house wren is present, and any singing behavior. We use a standardized scale to determine the stage of nest development. Once the birds start laying eggs, we count the eggs. Once the chicks hatch, we note how many chicks have hatched. Through our nest monitoring, we have observed differences among the three sites in the timing of nest building and egg laying. This monitoring sets the foundation for timing of research in our lab.
Monitoring nesting activity of northern house wrens across three locations in San Joaquin county
Male temperate breeding songbirds often show a dramatic change in singing behavior at the start of the breeding season. At this time, male songbirds transition from singing almost no songs to singing up to hundreds of songs an hour. Until recently, it was thought that female songbirds sang very little or not at all. However, in some species, like the house wrens (Troglodytes adeon) that we study, female singing behavior is different than in males. Some females sing a lot, although most females sing for much shorter periods of the breeding season (days to weeks compared to 1-2 months in males). Our ultimate goal is to understand the hormones and social cues that mediate this rapid and ephemeral onset of female song in the house wren. To do this, we need to monitor the breeding activity of each individual bird to know the breeding stage when they sing. We monitor a total of 105 nest boxes at three study sites: Waldo Holt Preserve, Heritage Oak, and McDonald Island. We note the status of the nest development during nest building, whether the male or female house wren is present, and any singing behavior. We use a standardized scale to determine the stage of nest development. Once the birds start laying eggs, we count the eggs. Once the chicks hatch, we note how many chicks have hatched. Through our nest monitoring, we have observed differences among the three sites in the timing of nest building and egg laying. This monitoring sets the foundation for timing of research in our lab.
