Do predation rates on artificial nests accurately predict predation rates on natural nests? The effects of nest type, egg type and nest-site characteristics

We compared the predation rate on natural nests of the Eastern Yellow Robin, Eopsaltria australis, with the predation rates on four types of artificial nests in a woodland remnant in southern Victoria. The aims of this study were: to compare the overall rates of predation on artificial and natural nests; to determine whether artificial nests accurately reflect the effects of nest-site characteristics on the predation rate of natural nests; and to examine the effects of using different nest types and egg types for artificial nests. The predation rates on artificial nests were significantly greater than those on natural nests. The predation rate was significantly greater on artificially constructed nests than on real, disused Eastern Yellow Robin nests, but there was no difference in the predation rates on artificial nests containing plasticine or Canary, Serinus canarius, eggs. There were no effects of nest-site characteristics on the predation rates on either artificial or natural nests. These results showed that the method of construction of artificial nests can affect the rate of nest predation, and suggest that artificial nests should be made as realistic as possible in order to gain more accurate information on the predation rates on the natural nests they are meant to represent.