Topic
Treecreeper
About: Treecreeper is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 81 publications have been published within this topic receiving 2185 citations. The topic is also known as: Certhiidae.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
TL;DR: Although the several tit species have much in common, and often eat the same foods, each species has evolved characteristic methods of feeding, with corresponding structural adaptations; and each species occupies a more or less distinct feeding-niche.
Abstract: SUMMARY
1
The feeding habits of the titmice, Treecreeper and Goldcrest were studied in a mixed broad-leaved wood near Oxford, from April 1950 to August 1951, by means of repeated standard observations.
2
The proportion of time spent feeding varied inversely with the body-weight of the species. A greater proportion of the time was spent feeding in mid-winter, and in the breeding season when young were being fed, than in spring or autumn. Feeding intensity varied similarly.
3
Fighting for food was recorded most often in mid-winter, and rarely in summer. Most attacks were intraspecific. Probably individuals gain or lose much food by fighting.
4
Although adult birds search for food most of the time when feeding young, they preen then as often as at other times.
5
The period and intensity of singing and calling was measured. This was often performed concurrently with other activities–mainly feeding–in the tits, least often by Great Tits, most often by Coal Tits.
6
Distant flight was more often recorded in winter than in summer.
7
The frequency with which the birds fed (a) in different species of trees and shrubs, and (6) at different feeding stations, varied significantly from month to month. The behaviour of the birds is described. The Parus species fed most diversely in autumn, and least diversely in early summer. Coal and Marsh Tits fed more diversely than Great and Blue Tits, which in turn fed more diversely than Longtailed Tits and Goldcrests.
8
The tit species were more distinctly segregated from each other by feeding habit in winter than in summer.
9
Food was especially short in mid-winter and in the breeding season, and competition for food was most severe in mid-winter. Hence mortality from food shortage is probably more density-dependent in winter than in summer.
10
Although the several tit species have much in common, and often eat the same foods, each species has evolved characteristic methods of feeding, with corresponding structural adaptations; and each species occupies a more or less distinct feeding-niche.
269 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that gaps in habitat cover are barriers to movement, and that characteristics of the intervening matrix influence landscape permeability.
Abstract: Habitat loss and fragmentation are recognized as primary drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. To understand the functional effects of habitat fragmentation on bird populations, data on movement across gaps in habitat cover are necessary, although rarely available. In this study, we used call playback to simulate a conspecific territorial intruder to entice birds to move through the landscape in a predictable and directional manner. We then quantified the probability of movement in continuous forest and across cleared gaps for two forest-dependent species, the grey shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) and the white-throated treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus). Fifty-four playback trials were conducted for each species across distances ranging from 25 to 480 m in continuous forest and 15-260 m across gaps in a forest-agricultural landscape in southern Victoria, Australia. The probability of movement was significantly reduced by gaps in forest cover for both species. Shrike-thrushes were six times more likely to move 170 m in continuous forest than to cross 170-m gaps. The mean probability that treecreepers would cross any gap at all was less than 0.5, and they were three times less likely to move 50 m across a gap than through continuous forest. Both species displayed non-linear responses to increasing gap distance: we identified a gap-tolerance threshold of 85 m for the shrike-thrush and 65 m for the treecreeper beyond which individuals were most unlikely to cross. The presence of scattered paddock trees increased functional connectivity for the shrike-thrush, with individuals crossing up to 260 m when scattered trees were present. We conclude that gaps in habitat cover are barriers to movement, and that characteristics of the intervening matrix influence landscape permeability.
108 citations
TL;DR: Changes in the abundance, species richness and assemblage composition of vertebrates due to grazing by domestic stock were investigated in the semi-arid woodlands of eastern Australia and revealed that abundance of diurnal reptiles and species richness of di nighttime reptiles and birds were significantly lower on heavily grazing sites than they were on lightly grazed sites.
Abstract: Changes in the abundance, species richness and assemblage composition of vertebrates due to grazing by domestic stock were investigated in the semi-arid woodlands of eastern Australia. Analyses were based on the differences found at 10 fenceline contrast sites. Two species of amphibians, 22 species of reptiles and two species of small mammal were captured in pit traps during the surveys. Kangaroos (red and eastern grey), sheep, goats and 66 species of birds were recorded along line transects. Analyses revealed that abundance of diurnal reptiles and species richness of diurnal reptiles and birds were significantly lower on heavily grazed sites than they were on lightly grazed sites. At a local scale, the gecko, Gehyra variegata, was more abundant where grazing was heavier, while Diplodactylus conspicillatus, Diplodactylus steindachneri and Rhynchoedura ornata responded to variables indirectly related to grazing intensity (kangaroo density, sheep and goat dung mass and sheep density, respectively). Birds more commonly sighted on lightly grazed areas than heavily grazed areas were the apostlebird, brown treecreeper, crested bellbird, grey butcherbird, hooded robin, jacky winter, little woodswallow, Australian magpie-lark, mulga parrot, splendid wren, white-browed treecreeper and yellow-rumped thornbill. Birds more commonly sighted on heavily grazed areas than on lightly grazed areas were the Australian raven and chestnut-crowned babbler. Most variation in species composition between sites was due to spatial separation and no regional-level indicator species of grazing were evident. A combination of direct grazing-related changes (e.g. loss of ground cover) and indirect effects of the pastoral industry (e.g. introduction of artificial sources of water) lead to changes in fauna at different scales of analysis across regions.
91 citations
TL;DR: Colour-banded populations of White-throated Cormohates leucophaea, Red-browed Climacteris erythrops and Brown Treecreepers CI were studied for up to six years in north-eastem New South Wales and predation appears to have played the major role.
Abstract: Colour-banded populations of White-throated Cormohates leucophaea, Red-browed Climacteris erythrops and Brown Treecreepers CI. picumnus were studied for up to six years in north-eastem New South Wales. All species are sexually dimorphic, insectivorous and nest in tree-holes. The White-throated and Red-browed are totally arboreal and nearly identical in size while the Brown spends half of its time on the ground and is about 50% larger than the other two species. The non-cooperative White-throated held small individual or pair territories which were vigorously defended but not stable over the study period. Offspring were evicted from the natal territory when independent and very few were seen again on the study sites. Cooperatively breeding Red-browed and Brown Treecreepers lived in pairs or groups which contained one breeding bird of each sex and up to three helpers. About one-quarter of the offspring of both species stayed on the study site for one year or more, and almost all were males. Helpers participated in nest construction, feeding of the incubating female, and feeding and defence of the young. Territories were larger, more static and less regularly defended than in the White-throated. Breeding success of the White-throated did not differ significantly from that of the Red-browed or Brown. However, within the latter two species, groups produced more young than pairs. Adult survivorship was higher in the Brown than in the White-throated where they co-existed. Survivorship of co-existing Red-browed and White-throated was similar, until the onset of a drought which had a greater negative effect on the latter. Group-living and cooperative breeding are proba- bly related to specialised niche requirements and lack of suitable habitat in the patchily-distributed Red-browed, while in the widespread and semi-terrestrial Brown, predation appears to have played the major role. Roost-holes may be a limited resource for both cooperatively breeding species, favouring philopatry.
76 citations
TL;DR: Reduced reproductive success, juvenile survival, food availability and habitat quality may threaten the viability of the rufous treecreeper population living in the fragmented landscape.
69 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1 |