Niche breeders
In ornithology , especially in connection with bird protection or nature protection measures, niche breeders are those bird species that need niches as nesting sites for their breeding purposes . However, this is not a term that systematically ornithologically systemizes in the narrower, scientific sense .
Unlike the cave-brooders or the free- breeders , the niche-breeding bird species usually lay their nests in niches of rock walls, scree slopes, buildings, trees, embankments or the like that correspond to their respective needs. on. Among the American breeders are among other songbird species , such as dipper , wagtail , wagtail , Robin , Spotted Flycatcher , Black Redstart , and sometimes Redstart counted; but also birds of prey , such as kestrels , red chalk and peregrine falcons , or the eagle owl . An unconditional classification as a niche breeder is not always possible for every species, as some species, depending on the location, also appear as free breeders on the ground (e.g. robins) or as cave breeders (e.g. redstart). The only bird species in Eurasia that can usually be found both as free, niche and cave breeders is the wren .
Over time, bird protection has developed various nesting aids for a number of niche-breeding species . Of these, the so-called half-cave for niche-breeding smaller songbirds, which is half open at the front, is perhaps best known. However, since the species that use these nesting devices are quite susceptible to the infestation of nest- predatory predators , there has been an increasing trend towards using a more secure nest box type with two oval entry holes of around 32 by 50 millimeters for the niche breeders.