Project Title: Linking spatial distribution of breeding individuals, predator community, nest defence behaviour, nest survival, and female promiscuity in pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca)

Project No: lzp-2022/1-0348

Period: 1 January 2023 – 31 December 2025

University of Daugavpils: 1 January 2023 – 30 September 2023

BMC: 1 October 2023 – 31 December 2025

Project costs: 300 000, 00 EUR

Principle Investigator: Dr.biol. Indriķis Krams

Summary

In this project, we will study the spatial distribution of pied flycatcher nests, identify events of complete post-hatching brood failure that are caused by predation, and explore how these distributions and failure frequencies relate to mixed-paternity in habitats containing cues of avian predators, mammalian predators, both types of predators and habitats with no predator cues. We will test whether exposure to mammalian predators decreases the proportion of extra-pair offspring in nests, reduces the intensity of mobbing behaviour, and make the spatial distribution of pied flycatchers random. In contrast, the presence of avian predators is expected to increase the proportion of extra-pair offspring, increase the intensity of predator mobbing and make population spatial distribution clumped. This project will expand the boundaries of research on sociality, density-dependent processes, and predator-prey interactions, providing insight into evolutionary and ecological mechanisms of promiscuous behaviour and predator-associated spatial distribution of prey communities and populations.

Information published 01.12.2023.