Summary The determinants of nest-site selection and nest success are important for conservation planning for endangered birds. Here we examine factors driving nest-site selection and success for the Mariana Crow Corvus kubaryi , also known as the Åga, across the entire range of the population, by comparing 370 nests that were found during surveys (2014–2021) against random points sampled from all forested areas on the island. Nest-sites were more likely to have high canopy cover than random points, while proximity to human infrastructure (e.g. roads, buildings) did not impact nest-site selection. None of our tested covariates impacted nest success, nor did the land-cover type in which the nests were found. Our results suggest that the Åga is able to nest successfully in close proximity to humans, and that nest success is not negatively affected by current land-use practices. Future research on the low nest success rate (23.9%) would be most fruitfully targeted towards local biotic stressors, such as nest predation or environmental factors, which may exacerbate the unknown inflammatory disease that afflicts many wild nestlings.
Wilson et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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