Citizen Science Project Smart Bird Nest

Variables that we can observe and analyze with the smart nest

Do you see any different birds from the ones described in this booklet? Which ones?

Breeding activity before and after hatching

Arrivals to the nest with and without food

Do you observe any changes in the activities of the nest as the time of the sunrise/sunset change?

Does the amount/type of food that is provided to the chicks change as the chicks grow?

Nesting activity before and after hatching

Departures from the nest with and without droppings 

What materials were used for making the nest?

Do you observe coprophagy in any of the birds?

What strategies of nesting can you identify? 

Do both parents remove the droppings from the nest?

How does the strategy of nesting relates with the shape/size of the nest?

Does the removal of Droppings change with time?

Does any of the parents abandon the nest?

How many eggs are laid? How many hatch? How many fledglings survive?

Which of the parents take care of the chicks?

Do parents have specific roles during the nesting period?

Which of the parents take care of the eggs?

Do parents have specific roles during the parental care period?

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 common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

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I incubate my eggs during 12 to 15 days. Hopefully, my husband feeds me during this period. After my chicks hatch, We will be feeding them (me and the father) for another 20 days.

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We breed between January and September. We are monogamous and usually establish breeding territories to which we like to come back.

Could you guess she’s the female? Bla,bla,bla...

Our tail also helps us keep balance... We can sleep while perching without falling off!!

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Did you know? Some birds can even sleep with one eye open, as half of their brain is alert while the other is asleep!

We, passerine birds, are distinguished from other birds by the arrangement of our toes (three pointing forward and one back). In this way, we can perch on tree branches, cables, and any other place where you can see us when we aren’t flying around (or in the nest)...

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Did you know? It is not unusual for a single bird to feed the chicks in the nest at a rate of one feed every 90 seconds during the height of the breeding season.

We will nest wherever there is a suitable small hole, be it in a tree or nesting box...our parents will usually return to the same hole year after year, and when one pair dies another takes possession. Eggs are laid in April or May.

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A study in Britain showed that the survival rate for juveniles in their first year was 38%, while the adult annual survival rate was 53%. 

Did you know? When great tits, can’t find a good place to lay their eggs, they simply invade the nests of the smaller blue tit. The blue tits are half the size of the invaders so usually abandon their nests and fly away...not to be killed... In some cases the small birds get their revenge by sneaking their own eggs into great tits’ nests!

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn28153-great-tits-and-blue-tits-battle-by-laying-eggs-in-enemy-nests/

This bird is a close sitter, hissing and biting at an intruding finger. In the South West of England such behaviour has earned the Eurasian blue tit the colloquial nickname &quot;Little Billy Biter&quot; or &quot;Billy Biter&quot;. When protecting its eggs it raises its crest in a sign of excitement.

Sexual dimorphism (or how to tale male from female)

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they are easily distinguishable by the line running down the belly, which is narrower and sometimes discontinuous on females.

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Blue tits were traditionally considered to show only slight sexual dichromatism. Recently, however, the use of spectroradiometry has shown that the crown and other plumage regions differ substantially between males and females in the ultraviolet (UV, 300–400 nm). Males have brighter and more chromatic crown plumage with reflectance peaking deeper into the UV.

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Meat spiders crane flies moths mayflies dragonflies damsel flies grasshoppers earwigs lacewings caddisflies flies beetles sawflies bees wasps ants earthworms snails small amphibians lizards Vegetables grains seeds fruits nectar Dish of the day food waste

You can say we are omnivorous...we eat almost any moving arthropod that crosses our path, both in the larval or adult form. Here you can read what could be in our menu...

How do we know what we know about the species of birds we can find in Prague?

Now it’s your turn to build knowledge...

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Both male and female birds are alike, having a mottled brown and grey upper body, and a rather dirty white underside. The plumage is barred irregularly with dark brown markings and the bird has a noticeable dark line running from the base of the bill, through the eye and down the side of the neck, virtually to the shoulder of the wing. 

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The number of eggs laid are commonly between 5 and 12. Great tits make their nests in cavities, this is why they like the nest boxes.

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Both parents feed the chicks. The favorite food are caterpillars, from which the parents remove the gut because it contains substances that can slow down the growth of the nestlings. Other creatures that make the lunch of chicks are spiders and decapitated insects. 

How do eggs look like in your smart bird nest? What materials were used to build the nest?

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Are you still listening? I have to tell something in your favor...males share with us not only the caring of our chicks but also the cleaning of the nest by removing the droppings.

What do we know about the species of birds we can find in Prague?

great tits can go a long way when it comes to feeding during the winter when not so many insects crawl around. Great tits have been seen: * breaking the foil caps of milk bottles in England in order to eat the cream on the top. * using conifer needles to get larvae from the hole of trees. * killing and eating the brain of hibernating bats. * attacking and killing other Passerine birds.

You may be the one to witness another strange feeding behavior of these birds!

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It’s interesting to observe Great tits eating: they gather the food with their beaks and then take it with their feet to eat it.

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We are mainly insectivorous but we eat seeds and berries during the winter...

Birds that have been killed by great tits

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Did you know? In some countries, this bird damages many cereal and fruit crops and spoils cereal crops, animal feed and stored grain with its droppings.

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We eat predominantly seeds and grains on the ground in flocks, in order to be more protected from predators. You are likely to find us around feeders, specially in the winter when seeds are scarce. By the way...we love peanuts!

Pairs may breed in isolation or in loose colonies, and will readily use nest boxes.

We, males, call from near the nest site in spring to proclaim ownership and attract a mate. We then both  build the nest with dry grasses, feathers, strings and bits of paper. Breeding usually starts in May. 

How many of the fledglings of your nest survive?

A clutch of 7 to 12 eggs is laid in May/June, and sometimes a second clutch is laid in June. Incubation of the eggs lasts around 11/12 days, and is shared between our father and our mother equally, as is the feeding of us. We fledge at 20/22 days, and become fully independent 1 to 2 weeks later.

All very interesting but I’m feeling hungry! How long would we still need to wait for our parents to come with some yummy food for us?

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Common starlings are both monogamous and polygamous; although broods are generally brought up by one male and one female, occasionally the pair may have an extra helper. Males may mate with a second female while the first is still on the nest. Breeding takes place during the spring and summer. Incubation lasts thirteen days. Both parents share the responsibility of brooding the eggs, but the female spends more time incubating them than does the male, and is the only parent to do so at night when the male returns to the communal roost. about six days after hatching, the adults largely cease removing droppings from the nest. Prior to that, the excrements would wet both the chicks&apos; plumage and the nest material with the risk of chilling the hatchlings.

We, males, find a suitable cavity and begin to build a nest in order to attract single females. We sing a lot and We like to decorate our nest with flowers and fresh green material...we know females like flowers and their smell...when a female accepts us, we will continue to build the nest with her...

Both parents feed the nestlings. Young leave the nest about 12/14 days after hatching and may be fed by parents for another week. One pair of adults may raise 2 or 3 broods per year.

take note of interesting breeding behaviors you see in your smart nest.

Did you know? The tree sparrow decline started in the 1970s, and even with recent increases, the population consists of fewer than 10 per cent of those present in the late 1960s. This decline, like that of most farmland birds, is linked to agricultural changes and reduced overwinter survival.

both our mother and our father incubate the eggs for 12/13 days before we hatch.  after 15/18 days we will develop the wing feathers and will become fledglings. Our parents will spend a lot of time searching for materials to build huge nests for us, so we can be cozy and warm and they can do other things apart from brooding... to tell you the truth, they don’t invest a lot of time incubating!

Now, all of you listen carefully: The breeding season generally starts in the third week of April. successful breeding of chicks is dependent on sufficient supply of green caterpillars as well as good weather. Breeding seasons may be affected badly if the weather is cold and wet between May and July.   

Very interesting but When we will get that juicy green caterpillar?

Like great tits, we eat insects but we can become omnivorous during the winter... I should mention our important role in the environment because we eat the insects that attack crops (pests).

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Climate change leaves birds hungry as chicks hatch too late to eat caterpillars.

https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-hungry-birds-chicks-late-caterpillars-spring-woodland-flycatchers-a8318366.html

The hatchlings of a Passerine bird are altricial.

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Let me clarify...altricial means that our chicks are incapable of moving around on their own soon after hatching...they are blind and featherless and require a lot of nursing from their parents.

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We feed mainly on insects and larvae. We like to catch flying insects in the air! In the winter, though, you may see us eating berries and other seeds...

We prefer to nest on the edge of woodland clearings. You may find us in parks and old gardens in urban areas. We build our nests in tree holes. We use dead trees or those with dead limbs. We also use nest boxes when we can find them. We don’t live in Europe all year round. we migrate to sub-Saharan Africa during the winter. We, males, first arrive to Europe in early to mid April, often a few days in advance of the females.

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a young bird that has developed wing feathers that are large enough for flight.

a bird that is too young to leave its nest.

a family of birds or other young animals produced at one hatching or birth.

a young animal that has recently emerged from its egg.

When meeting, a mating pair will exhibit head swinging and feather ruffling, which acts as a courtship display. The species is generally monogamous, staying faithful to one mate. However, occasional polygamy occurs...

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Did you know? Sometimes their head is allowed to slump sideways and hang limply. On other occasions, when excited, the head is shaken and twisted about violently. When disturbed on the nest or held in the hand, the neck contorts and twists in all directions. The bird sometimes feigns death and hangs limply with eyes closed.

As you can guess from our name, we use our neck a lot...

We like insects. We primarily feed on ants, finding nests in holes and crevices using our slender bills and long tongues. We also feed on beetles and their larvae, aphids, flies, and spiders...sorry I have my mouth full...

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http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-common-redtsart.html

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I choose the nest-site and then, i have to attract a female. I stay in the cavity with only the head and the breast outside or on the contrary with the fanned tail outside. I also perform zigzag flights among the trees and at the end, sometimes copulation occurs.  These displays may last until the beginning of the incubation. .

We lay 5/7 light blue eggs during May. Incubation lasts 12/14 days and our Young fledge about 15-18 days after hatching, we (me with the father) feed them for three weeks more. I may start a second brood while the male feeds the first young which are independent at one month.

Passerine Birds that we can find in Prague 

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