A Removal Experiment on Crested Tit Parus cristatus and Willow Tip P. montanus in the Breeding Season

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Abstract
The existence of non-breeders of crested and willow tits, due to dominance behavior, was tested by removing territorial pairs at laying time. Tape recordings of the songs were played to identify territory owners and their defended areas. The total populations were counted in the autumns before and after the experiment, and natural changes were followed in control populations. Immigrants did not appear in the vacated areas until July, after the breeding season. In the autumn after the removals, population levels on the vacated areas showed no difference relative to the controls. Hence, territorial behavior at the time of laying did not limit breeding numbers in these species. Some spacing mechanism, of unknown nature, leveled local differences in density before Nov.

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