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Effect of weather conditions on the communal roosting behaviour of common ravens Corvus corax with unlimited food resources

Janicke, T. and Chakarov, Nayden LU (2007) In Journal of Ethology 25(1). p.71-78
Abstract
Avian time-activity budgets are known to be affected by many environmental factors. The aim of this study was to examine whether roosting times of common ravens Corvus corax are affected by inclement weather conditions in response to increased energy demands. The study was conducted at a communal roost of ravens in Thuringia, Germany, from August 2003 to January 2005. The number of roosting ravens fluctuated substantially, ranging from zero individuals in summer to 574 in winter. During the entire study period, a composting facility served as the main feeding ground for roosting ravens. There, the feeding-to-resting ratio did not depend on flock size, indicating the ravens were not food limited. Ravens arrived at the preroost and the roost... (More)
Avian time-activity budgets are known to be affected by many environmental factors. The aim of this study was to examine whether roosting times of common ravens Corvus corax are affected by inclement weather conditions in response to increased energy demands. The study was conducted at a communal roost of ravens in Thuringia, Germany, from August 2003 to January 2005. The number of roosting ravens fluctuated substantially, ranging from zero individuals in summer to 574 in winter. During the entire study period, a composting facility served as the main feeding ground for roosting ravens. There, the feeding-to-resting ratio did not depend on flock size, indicating the ravens were not food limited. Ravens arrived at the preroost and the roost later relative to sunset on cloudless evenings and on days with shorter length of daylight. Weather conditions measured as ambient temperature, wind speed, and cumulative daily precipitation had no effect on arrival times at the preroost and the roost. Likewise, moonlight did not affect roosting times. Apparently, flexible time-activity budgets resulting from a superabundant food supply may have enabled ravens to moderate the effects of environmental conditions on arrival times at the preroost and the roost. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
TEMPERATURE, LIGHT-INTENSITY, BIRDS, ACTIVITY PATTERNS, communal roosting, circadian rhythm, diurnal activity, common raven, CENTERS, behavioural adaptation, INFORMATION-CENTER HYPOTHESIS, SOUTHWESTERN IDAHO, CIRCADIAN-RHYTHMS, WINTER, TIMES
in
Journal of Ethology
volume
25
issue
1
pages
71 - 78
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:33846294419
ISSN
0289-0771
DOI
10.1007/s10164-006-0209-3
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
0d5c1f40-0d01-4587-bc14-28e1cb172e2a (old id 4936894)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:09:02
date last changed
2024-01-12 09:41:25
@article{0d5c1f40-0d01-4587-bc14-28e1cb172e2a,
  abstract     = {{Avian time-activity budgets are known to be affected by many environmental factors. The aim of this study was to examine whether roosting times of common ravens Corvus corax are affected by inclement weather conditions in response to increased energy demands. The study was conducted at a communal roost of ravens in Thuringia, Germany, from August 2003 to January 2005. The number of roosting ravens fluctuated substantially, ranging from zero individuals in summer to 574 in winter. During the entire study period, a composting facility served as the main feeding ground for roosting ravens. There, the feeding-to-resting ratio did not depend on flock size, indicating the ravens were not food limited. Ravens arrived at the preroost and the roost later relative to sunset on cloudless evenings and on days with shorter length of daylight. Weather conditions measured as ambient temperature, wind speed, and cumulative daily precipitation had no effect on arrival times at the preroost and the roost. Likewise, moonlight did not affect roosting times. Apparently, flexible time-activity budgets resulting from a superabundant food supply may have enabled ravens to moderate the effects of environmental conditions on arrival times at the preroost and the roost.}},
  author       = {{Janicke, T. and Chakarov, Nayden}},
  issn         = {{0289-0771}},
  keywords     = {{TEMPERATURE; LIGHT-INTENSITY; BIRDS; ACTIVITY PATTERNS; communal roosting; circadian rhythm; diurnal activity; common raven; CENTERS; behavioural adaptation; INFORMATION-CENTER HYPOTHESIS; SOUTHWESTERN IDAHO; CIRCADIAN-RHYTHMS; WINTER; TIMES}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{71--78}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Ethology}},
  title        = {{Effect of weather conditions on the communal roosting behaviour of common ravens Corvus corax with unlimited food resources}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10164-006-0209-3}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10164-006-0209-3}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}