Cover, not caging, influences chronic physiological stress in a ground-nesting bird

• Published in: Journal of avian biology Vol. 46; no. 5; pp. 482 - 488
• Main Authors: Tan, Laura X. L., Buchanan, Katherine L., Maguire, Grainne S., Weston, Michael A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2015; Nordic Society Oikos; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: adverse effects; Birds; cages; Charadrius; Hatching; heterophils; Lymphocytes; Nesting; nesting sites; Nests; parents; Physiology; predation

Predator exclosures (‘nest cages’) around nests are increasingly used to enhance hatching success of declining groundnesting birds. However, such exclosures are contentious and have been suggested to have detrimental effects on the species which they aim to protect. This study examines whether exclo...