SSA Brain and behaviour in bird nest building
Lead Research Organisation:
University of St Andrews
Department Name: Biology
Abstract
Birds' nests play a key role in avian reproduction. They act as a container for eggs and offer potential protection from predators, while aiding parents to create a microclimate that is optimal for incubation and rearing.
Nests are built in a way that protects eggs and young from the surrounding environment, be it the cold, wind or solar radiation. Research has shown species build slightly difference nests depending on what environmental conditions they experience but little work has been done to see if individuals can adapt the way they build nests in response to a changing climate.
I will be researching physical cognition and nest building in birds, using zebra finches as my study species. I will investigate whether zebra finches will select different materials for their nests when they experience different climates, and whether their material preference will change if they raise young successfully or not. I will then look to see if material preference changes as the climate changes, from example a hot previous breeding season to a cold breeding season. I will then be aiming to identify what sections of the brain are responsible for any potential nest building adaptations and general nest building behaviour.
Nests are built in a way that protects eggs and young from the surrounding environment, be it the cold, wind or solar radiation. Research has shown species build slightly difference nests depending on what environmental conditions they experience but little work has been done to see if individuals can adapt the way they build nests in response to a changing climate.
I will be researching physical cognition and nest building in birds, using zebra finches as my study species. I will investigate whether zebra finches will select different materials for their nests when they experience different climates, and whether their material preference will change if they raise young successfully or not. I will then look to see if material preference changes as the climate changes, from example a hot previous breeding season to a cold breeding season. I will then be aiming to identify what sections of the brain are responsible for any potential nest building adaptations and general nest building behaviour.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Susan Healy (Primary Supervisor) |
Publications
Edwards S
(2018)
Encyclopedia of Reproduction
Edwards S
(2020)
It's not all about temperature: breeding success also affects nest design
in Behavioral Ecology
Breen A
(2020)
Juvenile socio-ecological environment shapes material technology in nest-building birds
in Behavioral Ecology
Edwards SC
(2020)
Neural Circuits Underlying Nest Building in Male Zebra Finches.
in Integrative and comparative biology
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BB/M010996/1 | 01/10/2015 | 31/03/2024 | |||
| 1645178 | Studentship | BB/M010996/1 | 01/10/2015 | 30/09/2019 |
| Description | Using a wild population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) building in nestboxes in St Andrews, I found that female blue tits advanced their nest initiation in warmer years, and constructed lighter nests when April was warmer, but they did not change the amount of specific materials with which they built their nest. Advancing breeding events also did not affect female adult survival in my population. However, when comparing material metrics and temperature over specific time periods I found a number of relationships between temperature and the mass and proportion of materials in a nest e.g. insulatory material mass decreased as minimum temperature during building increased. In a laboratory experiment, I found that at cooler temperatures zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) constructed heavier nests using more pieces of string. When these birds built their second nest, however (either at the same or a different temperature), pairs that had previously reproduced successfully used the same number of pieces of string to build their nest while previously unsuccessful pairs increased the number of pieces of string used, regardless of temperature. With regard to the neural underpinnings of nest building, I found that hypothalamic vasotocin mRNA expression (a nonapeptide hormone primarily responsible for social behaviour) was higher in male zebra finch builders than in non-builders two hours after the start of nest building. Furthermore, I identified areas of the anterior motor pathway, social behaviour network and cerebellum that are active during nest construction. In this thesis, I have identified individual plasticity in nest building in response to temperature, and some of the neural underpinnings of the social behaviours involved in nest building. |
| Exploitation Route | By identifying factors that can affect birds nest building, which in turn will affect their reproductive success, we have highlighted an additional cost of climate change. |
| Sectors | Environment |
| Description | In vivo award |
| Amount | £3,300 (GBP) |
| Organisation | East of Scotland BioScience (EastBio) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2016 |
| End | 09/2019 |
| Description | UWO: Do zebra finches build different nests in different temperatures? |
| Organisation | Western University |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Experimental design, conducting experiment, analysis and write up. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Assisting research collection. Provided equipment and subjects. |
| Impact | In progress |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Dundee Science Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The local public (mainly children) got a chance to try and build their own nest, either using hay or pipe cleaners, and then place them on our tree. They knew the nest was a good one if it could securely hold the chocolate eggs we were handing out. Our exhibition also included a game, where people got the chance to travel around Scotland and the world matching birds to their nests and environments |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Edinburgh Science Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An exhibit was set up at The Edinburgh International Science Festival talking to the general public about nests. Children got to build their own nest to hold chocolate eggs in. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Explorathon, St Andrews |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The local public (mainly children) got a chance to try and build their own nest, either using hay or pipe cleaners, and then place them on our tree. They knew the nest was a good one if it could securely hold the chocolate eggs we were handing out. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Scottish Ornithology Club Talk: Caithness Branch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 30-40 members of the Scottish Ornithology Club attended a talk I gave on the role of temperature in nest building in birds. The purpose of the talk was to inform the general public and local ornithologists about nest building behaviour, and spark a deeper interested in nest building (an often over looked behaviour). There were lots of questions about how members of the community can assist birds during the breeding season. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Scottish Ornithology Club Talk: Inverness Branch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 30-40 members of the Scottish Ornithology Club attended a talk I gave on the role of temperature in nest building in birds. The purpose of the talk was to inform the general public and local ornithologists about nest building behaviour, and spark a deeper interested in nest building (an often over looked behaviour). There were lots of questions about how members of the community can assist birds during the breeding season. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Scottish Ornithology Club Talk: Orkney Branch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 30-40 members of the Scottish Ornithology Club attended a talk I gave on the role of temperature in nest building in birds. The purpose of the talk was to inform the general public and local ornithologists about nest building behaviour, and spark a deeper interested in nest building (an often over looked behaviour). There were lots of questions about how members of the community can assist birds during the breeding season. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Scottish Ornithology Club Talk: St Andrews Branch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 30-40 members of the Scottish Ornithology Club attended a talk I gave on the role of temperature in nest building in birds. The purpose of the talk was to inform the general public and local ornithologists about nest building behaviour, and spark a deeper interested in nest building (an often over looked behaviour). There were lots of questions about how members of the community can assist birds during the breeding season. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Scottish Ornithology Club, Dundee |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was asked to give a talk to the St Andrews branch of the Scottish Ornithology Club on my current research into blue tits and their nest building. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Scottish Ornithology Club, St Andrews |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was asked to give a talk to the St Andrews branch of the Scottish Ornithology Club on my current research into zebra finches and their nest building |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Scottish Ornithology Club, St Andrews |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was asked to give a talk to the St Andrews branch of the Scottish Ornithology Club on my current research into blue tits and their nest building. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |