DOI: 10.5061/dryad.73870
title: Data from: Impacts of nest predators and weather on reproductive success and population limitation in a long-distance migratory songbird

description: Although avian nesting success is much studied, little is known about the
 relative importance of the factors that contribute to annual reproductive
 success and population limitation, especially for long-distance migratory
 songbird species. We combined a field experiment limiting access to nests
 by mammalian predators with modeling of long-term field data of American
 redstarts (Parulidae: Setophaga ruticilla) to assess the effects of
 multiple environmental variables on breeding success and population
 limitation. Experimental treatment (baffles placed around tree boles
 beneath active nests; n = 71) increased nesting success of this
 single-brooded species significantly (77 vs 50% in controls; n = 343),
 demonstrating that scansorial mammals, primarily red squirrels
 Tamiasciurus hudsonicus and eastern chipmunks Tamias striatus, reduced
 reproductive success. Based on unbaffled nests (n = 466), daily nest
 survival varied annually, and was positively influenced by May temperature
 and negatively by sciurid nest predator abundance. Daily nest survival was
 also influenced positively by June rainfall, and declined with nest age
 but not with calendar date. Since nest failure was overwhelmingly caused
 by nest predation, these significant climate and nest-age effects in our
 models are indirect, likely influencing nest predator and/or nesting bird
 behaviors that in turn influenced nest predation. Redstart population
 density had no effect on nesting success, after accounting for other
 factors. Annual reproductive success accounted for 34% of the variability
 in annual population change in redstarts in our study area. Our findings
 document 1) breeding season population limitation in this species, 2) a
 link between tree masting and bird population dynamics via mammal
 population fluctuations, 3) the independent contributions of summer versus
 winter population processes in a migratory species, and 4) the potential
 complexity of climate-biotic interactions.
description: Sherry et al nest
 survival dataText file containing
 nest survival data for American redstart in MARK format for the years
 1983-1995, Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH, USA. Covariates (besides
 nest year and ID number) are date found, date nest last alive, date nest
 last checked, nest fate, encounter history, nest height above ground, nest
 status as to whether baffled against scansorial predators or not, nest
 tree DBH, and age status of nest.Sherry et al annual
 covariate dataText file containing
 annual covariates (1983-1995) for analyzing American redstart nesting
 success in Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH, USA. Besides year,
 covariates in file include redstart population density, predator index,
 May temperature, May rainfall, June temperature, June
 rainfall.Sherry et al Hubbard
 Brook precipitation dataText file for period
 1983-1995, and for months of May and June, of daily average rainfall for
 Watersheds 5 and 6 in Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH, USA. Data
 used to construct annual covariates for precipitation in analyses of
 American redstart nesting success.Sherry et al Hubbard
 Brook temperature dataText file for period
 1983-1995, and for months of May and June, of daily average temperatures
 (deg C) for Stations 1 and 6 in Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH,
 USA. Data used to construct annual covariates for temperatures in analyses
 of American redstart nesting success.