Nesting success and survival rates of suburban Olive Thrushes (Turdus olivaceus olivaceus)

Abstract

Adult survival rates of suburban Olive Thrushes (Turdus olivaceus) were estimated from the proportion of adults and juveniles in mist-net samples from the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. These survival rates were compared to an estimate from recovery data. Reproductive rate, clutch size, nesting success and survival rate of dependent fledglings were estimated from breeding records in the Eastern Cape. These data were used to estimate survival rate of independent fledglings. The estimated adult survival rate in this region was high and the clutch size was small, compared to those of the Blackbird (Turdus merula) in Europe. Dispersal patterns from recapture and recovery data, and the relatively low survival rates of juvenile birds, suggest that fledglings are most vulnerable when they reach independence and leave their natal territories.

Ostrich 2007, 78(2): 239–245