The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous‐throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass
ABSTRACT Native animals worldwide are experiencing long‐term coexistence with invasive plants, leading to diverse behavioral changes. Invasive plants may create new habitat structures that affect the distribution or behavior of prey, which in turn might attract predators to these novel habitats, the...
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Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70905 |
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| author | Yanhong Chen Youle Xu Junjie Wang Taiyu Chen Bin Liu Pan Chen Changhu Lu |
| author_facet | Yanhong Chen Youle Xu Junjie Wang Taiyu Chen Bin Liu Pan Chen Changhu Lu |
| author_sort | Yanhong Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Native animals worldwide are experiencing long‐term coexistence with invasive plants, leading to diverse behavioral changes. Invasive plants may create new habitat structures that affect the distribution or behavior of prey, which in turn might attract predators to these novel habitats, thereby altering predator–prey dynamics within the ecosystem. However, this phenomenon is rarely reported. Our previous research found that in the Yellow Sea wetlands of China, the native bird species, the vinous‐throated parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana), has adapted to breeding in the invasive smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) by increasing its nesting height. Here, our observations indicate that in cordgrass habitats, the main nest predator of parrotbills was the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), accounting for 75% of predation events. In contrast, in native habitats, the primary predators were mammals and snakes, accounting for 83% of predation events, with no nests being predated by magpies. We believe that changes in the breeding and nesting behavior of parrotbills may have attracted magpie predation in cordgrass habitats. Our findings may provide an empirical case of how behavioral changes induced by invasive plants can lead to dynamic shifts in predation relationships. We advocate for further research into this intriguing phenomenon, as it could enhance our understanding of changes in interspecific relationships and their ecological consequences within the context of biological invasions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cbd76682cbae4c54ad83c1ab9ae5d4f9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-cbd76682cbae4c54ad83c1ab9ae5d4f92025-01-29T05:08:42ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-01-01151n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70905The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous‐throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth CordgrassYanhong Chen0Youle Xu1Junjie Wang2Taiyu Chen3Bin Liu4Pan Chen5Changhu Lu6College of Life Sciences Anhui Normal University Wuhu ChinaCollege of Life Sciences Anhui Normal University Wuhu ChinaCollege of Life Sciences Anhui Normal University Wuhu ChinaCollege of Life Sciences Nanjing Forestry University Nanjing ChinaManagement Bureau of Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve Yancheng ChinaCollege of Life Sciences Anhui Normal University Wuhu ChinaCollege of Life Sciences Nanjing Forestry University Nanjing ChinaABSTRACT Native animals worldwide are experiencing long‐term coexistence with invasive plants, leading to diverse behavioral changes. Invasive plants may create new habitat structures that affect the distribution or behavior of prey, which in turn might attract predators to these novel habitats, thereby altering predator–prey dynamics within the ecosystem. However, this phenomenon is rarely reported. Our previous research found that in the Yellow Sea wetlands of China, the native bird species, the vinous‐throated parrotbill (Sinosuthora webbiana), has adapted to breeding in the invasive smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) by increasing its nesting height. Here, our observations indicate that in cordgrass habitats, the main nest predator of parrotbills was the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), accounting for 75% of predation events. In contrast, in native habitats, the primary predators were mammals and snakes, accounting for 83% of predation events, with no nests being predated by magpies. We believe that changes in the breeding and nesting behavior of parrotbills may have attracted magpie predation in cordgrass habitats. Our findings may provide an empirical case of how behavioral changes induced by invasive plants can lead to dynamic shifts in predation relationships. We advocate for further research into this intriguing phenomenon, as it could enhance our understanding of changes in interspecific relationships and their ecological consequences within the context of biological invasions.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70905biological invasionNest predationPica picaSinosuthora webbianaSpartina alterniflora |
| spellingShingle | Yanhong Chen Youle Xu Junjie Wang Taiyu Chen Bin Liu Pan Chen Changhu Lu The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous‐throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass Ecology and Evolution biological invasion Nest predation Pica pica Sinosuthora webbiana Spartina alterniflora |
| title | The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous‐throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass |
| title_full | The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous‐throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass |
| title_fullStr | The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous‐throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous‐throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass |
| title_short | The Eurasian Magpie Preys on the Nests of Vinous‐throated Parrotbills in Invasive Smooth Cordgrass |
| title_sort | eurasian magpie preys on the nests of vinous throated parrotbills in invasive smooth cordgrass |
| topic | biological invasion Nest predation Pica pica Sinosuthora webbiana Spartina alterniflora |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70905 |
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