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Nest orientation and hatching success of Black Kites Milvus migrans in Spain
Author(s) -
VIÑUELA JAVIER,
SUNYER CARLOS
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.1992.tb08013.x
Subject(s) - nest (protein structural motif) , hatching , ecology , zoology , geography , biology , orientation (vector space) , mathematics , geometry , biochemistry
An analysis of the orientation of 182 nest sites of the Black Kite Milvus migrans in two areas in south and central Spain found that orientations toward the east were preferred. In southern Spain an analysis of the relationship between nest orientation and hatching success showed that success was lower among the nests located in non‐preferred orientations, with some inter‐annual variation. The tendency to orientate nests toward the east was greater among the early nesting pairs and the effect that the orientation had on the hatching success was also greater than in late nesting pairs. The data suggest that rainfall and prevailing winds were the main factors conditioning nest orientation.