Title
The breeding biology of the Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus Savana) in lowland pine savanna habitats in Belize
Author(s)
Teul M., Piaskowski V.D., Williams K.M.
Published
2007
Publisher
Ornitología Neotropical
Abstract
We studied the breeding biology of the Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana) in lowland pine savanna habitat in central Belize. We conducted nest searching, monitoring, and breeding season banding from early April to early August of 1999, 2000 and 2001. The study took place at two different sites approximately 10 km apart, but in similar habitats. Sixty-one nests of the Fork-tailed Flycatcher were found and monitored. Based on the number of eggs and/or nestlings present when the nest was found, the clutch size for the majority of nests was 3, with a range of 1-4. The incubation period ranged from 10.0 to 13.5 days, and the nestling period ranged from 16.5 to 18 days. Nest height ranged from 0.4 to 9.6 m and substrate height from 1.3 to 11.2 m. Plant species most commonly used as nest substrates included Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea), calabash (Crescentia cujete), craboo (Byrsonima crassifolia), and palmetto (Acoelorraphe wrightii). During the nest-searching period, few nests were found in early April, nest numbers peaked from mid-April to mid-July, then declined in early August During bird banding, three of the four Fork-tailed Flycatchers captured had a brood patch, indicating that they were in breeding condition at the time of banding. The daily probability of survival was 0.951 and the daily mortality rate was 0.049. The Mayfield probability of nest success from the start of incubation to fledging was 26.5%. Reproductive success during this study was low, as only 7 of the 61 nests studied (11.5%) fledged young. © The Neotropical Ornithological Society.
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PUB12144