Burton, N.H.K. 2007. Intraspecific latitudinal variation in nest orientation among ground-nesting passerines: a study using published data. Condor: 109: 441-446.

Abstract

The relationship between nest entrance orientation and latitude among ground-nesting passerines was reviewed using published information. Data were collected for seven North American and European species. Pooling within-species comparisons, there was a clear preference for north-facing nests at lower latitudes to eastward- or southward-facing nests further north. Orientation differed significantly in eight out of ten 12 cases for which statistical comparison was possible, means differing in the expected direction in six of these cases. These results highlight how the influence of solar radiation on nest microclimate typically delineates preferred nest orientation in these species, i.e. at lower latitudes, the need for shade results in a preferance for northward orientations; at mid latitudes, eastward orientations predominate, reflecting a probable balance between the benefits of warmth in the early morning and shade in the afternoon; while at high latitudes, nests may be orientated southward to gain warmth throughout the day.

Back to Publications 2007 Page