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1 December 2007 Breeding Biology of Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea canariensis on Tenerife, Canary Islands
Beneharo Rodríguez, Airam Rodríguez
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The paper reports on the breeding biology of the endemic subspecies of the Grey Wagtail in a human transformed area (banana plantations) on Tenerife (Canary Islands). Clutch size (3.96 ± 0.6) was lower than in continental zones, probably because of the climatic stability of the islands. Furthermore, the distance from the nest to the nearest water source and the length of the breeding season (late February—June) were greater than in other European populations. Some breeding traits fit the predictions of the so-called insular “syndrome”. Possible mechanisms underpinning these differences in breeding traits are discussed.

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Beneharo Rodríguez and Airam Rodríguez "Breeding Biology of Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea canariensis on Tenerife, Canary Islands," Acta Ornithologica 42(2), 195-199, (1 December 2007). https://doi.org/10.3161/068.042.0203
Received: 1 May 2007; Accepted: 1 October 2007; Published: 1 December 2007
KEYWORDS
cultivated area
Grey Wagtail
island
latitudinal gradient
Motacilla cinerea canariensis
nest site
nesting
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