Survival in the face of danger: Avian breeding strategies to mitigate nest predation risk in an African savanna

Bird nests are highly vulnerable to predation, which is one of the main causes of breeding failure. My PhD research examined how birds reduce this risk in an African savanna ecosystem. I first investigated which animals prey on nests and showed that the predator community is diverse and changes across the day and breeding season. I then found that nest concealment can improve survival, particularly against predators that rely mainly on visual cues. Finally, I studied the cooperatively breeding arrow-marked babbler, in which several group members help to raise young. Larger groups did not simply produce more offspring, but cooperation appeared to influence maternal investment, offspring development, and the timing of breeding. Together, this research shows that avian breeding strategies are closely shaped by the local predator community and by when predation risk is highest.