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Two Mediterranean Blue Tit Populations: Are Differences in the Timing of Breeding Associated with Caterpillar Availability?

  • Conference paper
Population Biology of Passerine Birds

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIG,volume 24))

Abstract

A long term study on the population biology of tit species in Mediterranean habitats has documented a striking difference in breeding patterns between populations on the island of Corsica and the mainland (Blondel 1985, 1987, Blondel et al. 1987, 1989, Isenmann 1983, Isenmann et al. 1987). Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) and Coal Tit (P. ater) populations on Corsica start laying three weeks later, have ca. 30% smaller clutches and suffer lower juvenile mortality than mainland tits. Blondel (1987) stated that it is not sufficient to focus on the community structure of these populations to understand the observed differences in breeding biology. Research should also concentrate on local environmental conditions: the availability of food, climatic factors and/or parasitism on nestlings by e.g. dipteran larvae (Blondel 1985, 1987).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoologisches Institut, Rheinsprung 9, CH 4051, Basel, Switzerland

    Hagen S. Zandt

  2. Zoological Laboratory, University of Groningen, Haren, The Netherlands

    Arjen M. Strijkstra

  3. Centre Louis Emberger, CNRS, B.P. 5051, 34033, Montpellier, France

    Jacques Blondel

  4. Institute for Ecological Research, Boterhoeksestraat 22, 6666 GA, Heteren, The Netherlands

    Johan H. van Balen

Authors
  1. Hagen S. Zandt
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  2. Arjen M. Strijkstra
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  3. Jacques Blondel
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  4. Johan H. van Balen
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, B.P. 5051, 34033, Montpellier Cédex, France

    Jacques Blondel

  2. Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, Great Britain

    Andrew Gosler  & Robin McCleery  & 

  3. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, B.P. 5051, 34033, Montpellier Cédex, France

    Jean-Dominique Lebreton

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Zandt, H.S., Strijkstra, A.M., Blondel, J., van Balen, J.H. (1990). Two Mediterranean Blue Tit Populations: Are Differences in the Timing of Breeding Associated with Caterpillar Availability?. In: Blondel, J., Gosler, A., Lebreton, JD., McCleery, R. (eds) Population Biology of Passerine Birds. NATO ASI Series, vol 24. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75110-3_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-75110-3_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-51759-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-75110-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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