DOI: 10.5061/dryad.fn2z34ts9
title: Eastern bluebird and tree swallow response to noise from natural gas compressor stations

description: Natural gas compressor stations emit loud, low-frequency noise that
 travels hundreds of meters into undisturbed habitat. We used experimental
 playback of natural gas compressor noise to determine whether and how
 noise influenced settlement decisions and reproductive output as well as
 when in the nesting cycle birds were most affected by compressor noise. We
 established 80 nest boxes to attract Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and
 Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to locations where they had not
 previously nested and experimentally introduced shale gas compressor noise
 to half the boxes while the other 40 boxes served as controls. 
 Our experimental design allowed us to control for the confounding effects
 of both physical changes to the environment associated with compressor
 stations as well as site tenacity or the tendency for birds to return to
 the specific locations where they had previously bred. We incorporated
 behavioral observations with video cameras placed within boxes to
 determine how changes in behavior might lead to any noted changes in
 fitness.  Neither species demonstrated a preference for box type
 (quiet or noisy), and there was no difference in clutch size between box
 types. In both species, we observed a reduction in incubation time,
 hatching success, and fledging success (proportion of all eggs that
 fledged) between quiet and noisy boxes but no difference in provisioning
 rates. Nest success (probability of fledging at least one young;
 calculated from all nests that were initiated) was not affected by noise
 in either species suggesting that noise did not increase rates of either
 depredation or abandonment but instead negatively impacted fitness through
 reduced hatching and fledging success. Compressor noise caused behavioral
 changes that led to reduced reproductive success; for Eastern Bluebirds
 and Tree Swallows, gas infrastructure can create an equal-preference
 ecological trap where birds do not distinguish between lower and
 higher-quality territories even when they incur fitness costs.
description: We established 80 nest boxes in mid-March 2017 prior to the onset
 of the breeding season to attract eastern bluebirds and tree swallows.
 Half of the boxes were exposed to experiemental noise from compressor
 stations and half served as controls.  We monitored boxes throughout the
 season and recorded box settlement as well as reproductive data.  We used
 video monitoring to record incubation and feeding behavior. See manuscript
 for complete description of methods. Data files are excel files with
 nesting data; and feeding and incubation data summarized from
 videos. 
description: We are uploading 5 data files.  Each data file except the Mark
 text file has its own readme file.  Description of the data sets is
 below.   Mrk_age.txt- Text
 file – Text file to run in Program Mark 
 Noise.x (1=noise, 0=control)
 EABL- 1=eastern bluebird, 0=tree
 swallow Attempt – 1= first
 attempt, 0=later attempt 
 Basic_nest_data – nest data for EABL and
 TRSW Feeding_data_older –
 young 9-11 days old
 Feeding_data_younger – Young 4-7 days
 old Incubation_data