Nest Predators of Ground-nesting Birds in Montane Forest of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona

摘要

We used time-lapse video cameras and track plates to identify nest predators of Red-faced Warblers (Cardellina rubrifrons) and Yellow-eyed Juncos (Junco phaeonotus) in high-elevation (> 2,300 m) forests of the Santa Catalina Mountains in southeastern Arizona. Mammals, especially gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and cliff chipmunk (Ta-mias dorsalis), were the principal nest predators of Red-faced Warblers and Yellow-eyed Juncos within our study system, accounting for 89% of all nest depredations. Our study is one of the first to use video cameras at real nests to document the prevalence of nest predators in montane forest ecosystems. Additional research is needed to learn if mammals are the dominant nest predators in other montane environments.