Résumé
Capsule The nesting success of the Woodpigeon Columba palumbus in oak forests in Morocco is affected by human disturbance and nest-site characteristics.
Aims To determine factors affecting the nesting success of Woodpigeons subject to two levels of disturbance in a holm oak Middle Atlas forest.
Methods Woodpigeon nests were monitored in highly disturbed (n=30) and less-disturbed sites (n=60) over two years (2010-11). Logistic-exposure models were used to estimate daily nest-survival rate and evaluate mechanisms (altitude, temporal factors, nest location, nest-site habitat and degree of human influence) affecting nest survival.
Results Daily nest-survival rate was higher in less-disturbed sites (0.987; 95% CL: 0.980-0.991) than in high-disturbance sites (0.967; 95% CL: 0.949-0.978). Increasing density of trees surrounding nest sites and distance from the nest tree to the closest track increased daily nest-survival rate.
Conclusions Less-disturbed sites confer better nesting conditions than highly disturbed ones. Management measures should control the access of vehicles, especially trucks, in the forest of the Middle Atlas and introduce a grazing regime that will allow the forest regeneration, which would improve Woodpigeon nesting success by increasing the density of holm oak trees.