To maximize reproductive output, several species of songbirds attempt to raise two or more broods in a single breeding season. The results of previous studies have revealed much variation among species in the factors that influence the likelihood of female songbirds attempting to raise multiple broods during a breeding season. As such, additional studies are needed to better understand the roles of early breeding, brood sizes, and, especially, male parental care in determining the likelihood of having multiple broods. My objective, therefore, was to examine the possible effects of breeding initiation date, brood size, and male provisioning behavior on the number of nesting attempts by female Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) during a single breeding season. My study was conducted at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky, from mid-March to mid-August 2018. I monitored the nests of 39 first broods, 34 second broods, and eight third broods during my study. Bluebirds were captured in mist-nets and banded with unique combinations of color bands. Adult provisioning behavior was monitored with video-recorders placed from 1.5 – 3 m from nest boxes, and each nest was recorded at least every other day until nestlings fledged. Recordings were subsequently reviewed to quantify the provisioning behavior of male and female Eastern Bluebirds. The combined provisioning rates of male and female Eastern Bluebirds were similar for first, second, and third broods. For first and second broods, males provisioned young at higher rates than females during the first 5-6 days post-hatching, likely because females brooded nestlings during this period. Males did not provision young at higher rates than females during the first 5-6 days post-hatching for third broods, possibly reducing their investment in young in broods late in the breeding season. For broods one and two, the combined provisioning rates of males and females were lower during the first four days post-hatching than for older nestlings, likely because the lower energy requirements of young during the first few days post-hatching. The number of young in broods did not affect the provisioning rates of male and female Eastern Bluebirds (in terms of feeding visits per nestling), with nestlings fed at similar rates regardless of the number of nestlings in a brood. One possible explanation for such results is that young in larger broods have, collectively, less exposed surface area, are better able to thermoregulate, and, therefore, require less food. I found that differences in initiation dates (laying of the first egg), clutch sizes, and brood sizes of first broods did not influence the likelihood of pairs having second and third broods during the breeding season. Rather, differences in individual quality among male and female Eastern Bluebirds may explain differences among pairs in the number of broods they attempt to raise in a breeding season.
","abstract_html":"<p>To maximize reproductive output, several species of songbirds attempt to raise two or more broods in a single breeding season. The results of previous studies have revealed much variation among species in the factors that influence the likelihood of female songbirds attempting to raise multiple broods during a breeding season. As such, additional studies are needed to better understand the roles of early breeding, brood sizes, and, especially, male parental care in determining the likelihood of having multiple broods. My objective, therefore, was to examine the possible effects of breeding initiation date, brood size, and male provisioning behavior on the number of nesting attempts by female Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) during a single breeding season. My study was conducted at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky, from mid-March to mid-August 2018. I monitored the nests of 39 first broods, 34 second broods, and eight third broods during my study. Bluebirds were captured in mist-nets and banded with unique combinations of color bands. Adult provisioning behavior was monitored with video-recorders placed from 1.5 – 3 m from nest boxes, and each nest was recorded at least every other day until nestlings fledged. Recordings were subsequently reviewed to quantify the provisioning behavior of male and female Eastern Bluebirds. The combined provisioning rates of male and female Eastern Bluebirds were similar for first, second, and third broods. For first and second broods, males provisioned young at higher rates than females during the first 5-6 days post-hatching, likely because females brooded nestlings during this period. Males did not provision young at higher rates than females during the first 5-6 days post-hatching for third broods, possibly reducing their investment in young in broods late in the breeding season. For broods one and two, the combined provisioning rates of males and females were lower during the first four days post-hatching than for older nestlings, likely because the lower energy requirements of young during the first few days post-hatching. The number of young in broods did not affect the provisioning rates of male and female Eastern Bluebirds (in terms of feeding visits per nestling), with nestlings fed at similar rates regardless of the number of nestlings in a brood. One possible explanation for such results is that young in larger broods have, collectively, less exposed surface area, are better able to thermoregulate, and, therefore, require less food. I found that differences in initiation dates (laying of the first egg), clutch sizes, and brood sizes of first broods did not influence the likelihood of pairs having second and third broods during the breeding season. Rather, differences in individual quality among male and female Eastern Bluebirds may explain differences among pairs in the number of broods they attempt to raise in a breeding season. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Patton, Michael Daniel"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:53Z","subjects":["Breeding phenology","Brood size","Eastern Bluebird","Multibrooded","Parental care","Sialia sialis","Behavior and Ethology","Ornithology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2020 Michael Daniel Patton"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/668","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Patton, Michael Daniel"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Breeding phenology","Brood size","Eastern Bluebird","Multibrooded","Parental care","Sialia sialis","Behavior and Ethology","Ornithology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2020 Michael Daniel Patton"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/668"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["To maximize reproductive output, several species of songbirds attempt to raise two or more broods in a single breeding season. The results of previous studies have revealed much variation among species in the factors that influence the likelihood of female songbirds attempting to raise multiple broods during a breeding season. As such, additional studies are needed to better understand the roles of early breeding, brood sizes, and, especially, male parental care in determining the likelihood of having multiple broods. My objective, therefore, was to examine the possible effects of breeding initiation date, brood size, and male provisioning behavior on the number of nesting attempts by female Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) during a single breeding season. My study was conducted at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky, from mid-March to mid-August 2018. I monitored the nests of 39 first broods, 34 second broods, and eight third broods during my study. Bluebirds were captured in mist-nets and banded with unique combinations of color bands. Adult provisioning behavior was monitored with video-recorders placed from 1.5 – 3 m from nest boxes, and each nest was recorded at least every other day until nestlings fledged. Recordings were subsequently reviewed to quantify the provisioning behavior of male and female Eastern Bluebirds. The combined provisioning rates of male and female Eastern Bluebirds were similar for first, second, and third broods. For first and second broods, males provisioned young at higher rates than females during the first 5-6 days post-hatching, likely because females brooded nestlings during this period. Males did not provision young at higher rates than females during the first 5-6 days post-hatching for third broods, possibly reducing their investment in young in broods late in the breeding season. For broods one and two, the combined provisioning rates of males and females were lower during the first four days post-hatching than for older nestlings, likely because the lower energy requirements of young during the first few days post-hatching. The number of young in broods did not affect the provisioning rates of male and female Eastern Bluebirds (in terms of feeding visits per nestling), with nestlings fed at similar rates regardless of the number of nestlings in a brood. One possible explanation for such results is that young in larger broods have, collectively, less exposed surface area, are better able to thermoregulate, and, therefore, require less food. I found that differences in initiation dates (laying of the first egg), clutch sizes, and brood sizes of first broods did not influence the likelihood of pairs having second and third broods during the breeding season. Rather, differences in individual quality among male and female Eastern Bluebirds may explain differences among pairs in the number of broods they attempt to raise in a breeding season.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/PDF"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Possible Role Of Breeding Phenology, Brood Size, And Male Parental Care On The Number Of Nesting Attempts By Female Eastern Bluebirds, A Facultatively Multibrooded Species"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Patton, Michael Daniel"],"dc:description.abstract":["To maximize reproductive output, several species of songbirds attempt to raise two or more broods in a single breeding season. The results of previous studies have revealed much variation among species in the factors that influence the likelihood of female songbirds attempting to raise multiple broods during a breeding season. As such, additional studies are needed to better understand the roles of early breeding, brood sizes, and, especially, male parental care in determining the likelihood of having multiple broods. My objective, therefore, was to examine the possible effects of breeding initiation date, brood size, and male provisioning behavior on the number of nesting attempts by female Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) during a single breeding season. My study was conducted at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County, Kentucky, from mid-March to mid-August 2018. I monitored the nests of 39 first broods, 34 second broods, and eight third broods during my study. Bluebirds were captured in mist-nets and banded with unique combinations of color bands. Adult provisioning behavior was monitored with video-recorders placed from 1.5 – 3 m from nest boxes, and each nest was recorded at least every other day until nestlings fledged. Recordings were subsequently reviewed to quantify the provisioning behavior of male and female Eastern Bluebirds. The combined provisioning rates of male and female Eastern Bluebirds were similar for first, second, and third broods. For first and second broods, males provisioned young at higher rates than females during the first 5-6 days post-hatching, likely because females brooded nestlings during this period. Males did not provision young at higher rates than females during the first 5-6 days post-hatching for third broods, possibly reducing their investment in young in broods late in the breeding season. For broods one and two, the combined provisioning rates of males and females were lower during the first four days post-hatching than for older nestlings, likely because the lower energy requirements of young during the first few days post-hatching. The number of young in broods did not affect the provisioning rates of male and female Eastern Bluebirds (in terms of feeding visits per nestling), with nestlings fed at similar rates regardless of the number of nestlings in a brood. One possible explanation for such results is that young in larger broods have, collectively, less exposed surface area, are better able to thermoregulate, and, therefore, require less food. I found that differences in initiation dates (laying of the first egg), clutch sizes, and brood sizes of first broods did not influence the likelihood of pairs having second and third broods during the breeding season. Rather, differences in individual quality among male and female Eastern Bluebirds may explain differences among pairs in the number of broods they attempt to raise in a breeding season.
"],"dc:format":["application/PDF"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/668"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2020 Michael Daniel Patton"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["Breeding phenology","Brood size","Eastern Bluebird","Multibrooded","Parental care","Sialia sialis","Behavior and Ethology","Ornithology"],"dc:title":["Possible Role Of Breeding Phenology, Brood Size, And Male Parental Care On The Number Of Nesting Attempts By Female Eastern Bluebirds, A Facultatively Multibrooded Species"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:53Z"}