DOI: 10.5061/dryad.gxd2547rk
title: Data from: Factors influencing nest site selection of the Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) in an urban area in Karaj, Iran

description: Urban habitats are rapidly changing, making the conservation and
 management of species adapted to these environments challenging. Nest site
 selection is a pivotal point in the process of habitat selection and
 breeding for bird species. We measured 10 structural and spatial
 characteristics at 32 nest presence sites and 64 randomly selected nest
 absence sites of Laughing Doves (Spilopelia senegalensis) in an urban
 environment in Karaj, Iran. To model the nest site selection, we performed
 spline binary logistic regression. Two variables significantly influenced
 the nest site selection of Laughing Doves: nest height above ground, with
 an optimal range of ~286–347 cm, and nest concealment, favoring invisible
 places from the front and sides. Distance to opposite building, with an
 optimal range of ~16–34 m, was marginally significant. Additionally, we
 surveyed the feasibility of occupying artificial nestboxes (n = 17) by
 Laughing Doves between February and September 2019. The occupancy rate of
 the artificial nestboxes was ~35%. Overall, these results suggest that
 despite the relatively high structural heterogeneity of our urban
 environment, Laughing Doves exhibit distinct preferences for certain nest
 site characteristics, which may reflect a dependence on close proximity to
 humans for safety and access to food and water.
description: From 25 February to 3 April 2019, we searched both sides of the
 streets and alleys, alternating between going and returning on foot from
 morning to afternoon, ensuring each side was searched once. Moreover, from
 29 February to 15 March 2019, we directly approached 82 local residents
 from our own neighborhood, familiar to us, asking them to report any
 Laughing Dove nests they observed in the study area. Additionally, we
 requested that they encourage others to do the same. As a result, we
 believe that even more individuals indirectly contributed to our study.
 Based on the assumption that the abandoned nests were built in favorable
 places by this bird, we also recorded and accounted for them as nest
 presence sites. The tools and devices used in sampling included a tape
 measure, a Global Positioning System (GPS) device from
 Garmin<sup>®</sup> (USA), a sliding ladder, a compass, and a
 closed-circuit television (CCTV). Until 3 April 2019, we recorded 32 nest
 presence sites, 10 of which (31.2%) were found by local residents, and 64
 randomly selected nest absence sites (see “Presence and Absence data.txt”
 and, inside the folder “GIS data,” “Presence_Points.shp” and
 “Absence_Points.shp”). Ten structural and contextual
 variables were measured in this study. The vertical distance from the
 ground to the base of the nest (HEIGHT; cm) was measured using a measuring
 tape positioned directly below the nest. Similarly, the vertical distance
 from the ceiling to the base of the nest (CEILING; cm) was measured with a
 measuring tape, with one end placed at the base of the nest and the other
 at the ceiling. The horizontal distance from the edge of the nest to the
 edge of the ceiling (H_CEILING; cm) was also measured using a measuring
 tape held horizontally. The horizontal distances from the nest to the
 nearest tree with a diameter at breast height (DBH) greater than 10 cm
 (TREE_DIST; m) and to the nearest opposite building (BUILD_DIST; m) were
 both measured by counting steps to estimate the distances. The distances
 from the nest to the edge of the nearest green space (area &gt; 2 km²;
 GREEN_DIST; m) and to the nearest counterpart nest (NEST_DIST; m) were
 both measured using a combination of GPS coordinates and mapping software
 (ArcMap). see “Presence_Points.shp,” “Absence_Points.shp,” and
 “Green_Spaces.shp”) inside the folder “GIS data.” The nest concealment
 (CONCEAL) was assessed visually by us. We imagined our eyes were ~4 m
 horizontally away from the nest, in the opposite and side directions of
 the base structure, because it was often not possible to physically reach
 those viewpoints, especially when they were at a high height or when
 placing our sliding ladder on the street was required. The nest
 concealment was then categorized as A (invisible from the front and
 sides), B (invisible from the front but visible from one side), or C
 (visible from the front but invisible from the sides). The base structure
 of the nest (B_STRUCT) was categorized as A (shop boards; a photo of a
 nest in a shop board is provided as “A_Nest_in_a_Shop_Board.png”), B
 (building frontispieces), or C (balconies) through visual inspection.
 Finally, the aspect of the base structure where the nest was located
 (B_ASPECT) was determined using a compass and categorized as A (North), B
 (East), C (South), or D (West). All data are provided in “Presence and
 Absence data.txt” and, inside the folder “GIS data,” “Presence_Points.shp”
 and “Absence_Points.shp. Seventeen artificial nest
 boxes were erected from 15 to 22 April 2019, with seven placed near shops,
 two on the frontispieces of buildings, and eight on building balconies
 (see “Nest_Box_Presence_Points.shp” and “Nest_Box_Absence_Points.shp”
 inside the folder “GIS data”). Subsequently, all 10 structural and
 contextual variables were recorded for these nest boxes in a separate
 dataset (see “Nest box data.txt”). Additionally, Our
 observations using CCTV on 14 May 2019 revealed a possible nesting
 behavior in Laughing Doves (the video is provided as "A possible
 nesting behavior.mov"). While constructing the nest in a nest box,
 the male dove placed his head in the location where the eggs will be laid.
 Given that male Laughing Doves are responsible for bringing nest
 materials, it is possible that this behavior allows the male to assess the
 nest condition to complete it with appropriate materials.
 Another possibility is that the female Laughing Dove is gauging
 the nest condition to arrange the nest materials appropriately. It is also
 plausible that both the male and female are involved in assessing the nest
 condition through this behavior. Lastly, it is possible that this action
 is random and without any specific purpose. Further investigation is
 needed to determine the exact reason for this behavior.
 Although we are aware that this possible nesting behavior is not
 directly related to the nest site selection of Laughing Doves, we prefer
 to attach this observation in the supplementary part of our manuscript.
 This is because the observation alone does not warrant a separate
 manuscript or even a short note.
description: # Data from: Factors influencing nest site selection of the Laughing Dove
 *(Spilopelia senegalensis)* in an urban area in Karaj, Iran “Presence and
 Absence data.txt” and “Nest box data.txt” include 11 columns: * **P_A**:
 (P) nest presence sites and (A) nest absence sites. For “Nest box
 data.txt,” (Occupied) and (Unoccupied). - **HEIGHT**: Nest height above
 ground (cm) * **CEILING**: Nest to ceiling height(cm) *
 **H_CEILING**: Nest horizontal distance to ceiling edge (cm) *
 **TREE_DIST**: Distance to nearest tree (m) * **BUILD_DIST**: Distance to
 opposite building (m) * **GREEN_DIST**: Distance to green space (m) *
 **NEST_DIST**: Distance to nearest counterpart nest (m) *
 **CONCEAL**: Nest concealment includes (A) invisible from the front and
 sides, (B) invisible from the front but visible from one side, and (C)
 visible from the front but invisible from the sides. * **B_STRUCT**: Base
 structure includes (A) shop boards, (B) building frontispieces, and (C)
 building balconies. - **B_ASPECT**: Base aspect includes (A) North, (B)
 East, (C) South, and (D) West. The folder "GIS data" includes
 shapefiles (*.shp) of the following cases: * **Presence_Points** (*n* =
 32) - **Absence_Points** (*n* = 64) - **Nest_Box_Presence_Points** (*n* =
 6) - **Nest_Box_Absence_Points** (*n* = 11) - **Green_Spaces** -
 **Study_Area_Boundary** "A possible nesting behavior.mov" is a
 recorded video of a specific possible nesting behavior in Laughing Doves.
 "A_Nest_in_a_Shop_Board.png" is a photo of a Laughing Dove nest
 in a shop board.