Long-term and large-scale analyses of nest predation patterns in Australian songbirds and a global comparison of nest predation rates

Juvenile mortality is one of crucial drivers of life-history evolution, and predation is the main cause of nest loss in birds. Thus, understanding how nest predation and failure vary in nature is important for understanding life history evolution and, moreover, for effective conservation. We used published data and unpublished records to study factors influencing nest predation and total failure in 138 populations of 90 species of Australian songbirds. Daily predation (average 2.0% d^−1) and failure rates (2.9%) increased from temperate regions to the tropics, over the last four decades, and were lowest in temperate south-western Australia. Predation and failure were higher in smaller species, and failure rates were lower in species with closed nests than in species with open nests. There was no effect of nest height or nest site (ground, shrub, canopy) or social organization on nest predation or failure rates. Nest predation caused on average 72% of total nest failure, similar to other...