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1 December 2016 A Case of Interspecific Nest Use in Larks (Alaudidae)
Derek Engelbrecht
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Abstract

Nest reuse is a common phenomenon in many passerine and non-passerine birds species. Although interspecific nest reuse has been reported in many African species, it is rare in passerines that nest in open, cup-shaped nests. Here, I report on interspecific nest reuse in larks (Alaudidae), specifically of a pair of Chestnut-backed Sparrow-larks Eremopterix leucotis using a nest previously occupied by Pink-billed Larks Spizocorys conirostris. It is possible that the Chestnut-backed Sparrow-larks selected a nest site in an area where predation seemed low as there were other successful nests or nests with nestlings in the near vicinity. The interspecific nest reuse reported here suggests opportunistic occupation of a previously used nest while at the same time saving the pair some energy during a period of peak activity and high energetic demands.

Derek Engelbrecht "A Case of Interspecific Nest Use in Larks (Alaudidae)," The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(4), 894-898, (1 December 2016). https://doi.org/10.1676/15-161.1
Received: 27 September 2015; Accepted: 1 February 2016; Published: 1 December 2016
KEYWORDS
Alaudidae
breeding
Eremopterix leucotis
nest reuse
Spizocorys conirostris
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