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Research
NestCams is a project of the Konrad Lorenz Research Center (a Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Austria), which is located in Grünau in the Almtal in Upper Austria.
Video monitoring of nests is part of a broader project into the breeding performance of two avian model species, the greylag goose that forms long-term monogamous pairs and the northern bald ibis that is seasonally monogamous. The research is funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). A key objective of the NestCams project is to involve citizens in the collection of behavioural data, with participation from local to international citizen scientists.
We are interested in measuring the breeding performance of greylag geese and northern bald ibis. From previous studies we know that some pair partners are repeatedly successful parents whereas others are not. Reproductive success is calculated from the number of offspring that survive to fledge. However, the number of chicks that fledge may be different from the number of eggs that hatch. Adding to this complexity is the issue of adoption as some greylag geese adopt lost goslings. By observing the behaviour of the birds across the breeding period (egg laying, incubation, chick rearing) we aim to discover which behavioural patterns contribute to reproductive success. For this purpose, we equipped a number of breeding facilities with video-cameras that record the behaviour of the breeding birds. In geese, the breeding huts are located on water; in ibis the camera is installed in nest-niches in an open-air aviary.
Join us and help us code the video material collected in spring 2018 and 2019!
Left: A researcher works at a nest box. [Credits: KLF archive]
Middle: Close-up view of the camera model. [Credits: KLF archive]
Right: A northern bald ibis preens its chicks. [Credits: Verena Pühringer-Sturmayr]
Both avian model species live on the grounds of the Konrad Lorenz Research Center. The greylag geese are part of a non-migratory flock; they are semi-tame, unrestrained and free-flying. The northern bald ibis are free-flying. Both species are habituated to the close presence of humans, which allows behavioural observations and long-term monitoring.
