RECORD HIGH SPOTTED TOWHEE NEST IN METRO VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Abstract

Most bird species evolved nest characteristics such as height or type of materials that match their life history and niche requirements. Many species, including the Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus), commonly nest on the ground or in low shrubs. Urban environments, which comprise many novel anthropogenic structures and related pressures, can alter bird behaviors, including nest-site selection. As part of a multi-year field study in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, we located a Spotted Towhee nest that was 7.0 m high. This nest was 2 m higher than the highest nest previously documented in the literature and was much higher than the mean nest height of 0.2 m (median = 0 m) that we have observed in this region. This discovery suggests that the Spotted Towhee’s nest-site selection may be more plastic than previously documented and highlights a need to consider factors, particularly in human-modified environments, that influence nest-site selection.