Comparison of spring and summer clutches of Great Crested Grebes (Podiceps cristatus)

  • Josef Rajchard University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Biological Studies, Studentská 1668, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4600-1012
  • Josef Navrátil Department of Biological Studies, Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5217-0154
  • Ryan J. Frazier Weber State University, Department of Geosciences 1299 Edvalson St., Dept. 1210, Ogden, UT 84408, USA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8408-8393
  • Eva Ježková University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Biological Studies Studentská 1668, CZ-370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1348-8549
  • Kateřina Marková Protected Landscape Area Český les, Náměstí republiky 287, CZ-348 06 Přimda, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7447-9550
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17109/AZH.66.4.393.2020
Keywords: egg, Great Crested Grebe, nest, fishpond, habitat

Abstract

The intensively farmed fishponds of the Třeboň Basin in South Bohemia, Czech Republic host a substantial number Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) pairs that nest later than the expected spring season and instead in summer, which may be associated with fishpond farming. A two-factor nested ANOVA of Great Crested Grebe egg and clutch characteristics showed no differences between spring (May-June) and summer (July - August) seasonal clutches. High egg total volume in spring nests was significantly related to both decreasing distance between nests and decreasing number of nests on the fishpond. The increase of total egg volume in summer nests was significantly related to the distance to the edge of littoral vegetation. There is no substantial difference between spring and summer egg characteristics, but total egg volume in spring nests is dependent on other characteristics that those in summer nests.

Published
2020-10-29
How to Cite
RajchardJ., NavrátilJ., FrazierR. J., JežkováE., & MarkováK. (2020). Comparison of spring and summer clutches of Great Crested Grebes (Podiceps cristatus) . Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 66(4), 393–401. https://doi.org/10.17109/AZH.66.4.393.2020
Issue
Vol. 66 No. 4 (2020): Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Section
Article

Copyright (c) 2020 Josef Navrátil †, Josef Rajchard, Ryan J. Frazier, Eva Ježková

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