Data from: Plasticity of snowy plover incubation behaviors in response to risks of nest predation

Nest predation influences population dynamics and is thought to exert
strong selection on the evolution of avian life history. Because parental
behaviors can attract the attention of nest predators, incubating birds
are predicted to decrease conspicuous behaviors at the nest-site and
increase incubation constancy when risks of nest predation are high. We
examined whether snowy plovers Charadrius nivosus responded to
predator-specific risks of nest predation, using the number of off bouts
and daily nest attendance (proportion of time spent incubating) as
responses. We quantified risks using predator-specific hazard rates of
nest mortality, which varied daily and were based on habitat
characteristics at each nest. We assessed the influence of
predator-specific risks of nest mortality on incubation behaviors using an
individual-centering approach, allowing us to explain variation in
incubation behaviors within and among breeding pairs. We found increased
number of off bouts and nest attendance within breeding pairs in response
to increasing risks of nest predation by foxes (Vulpes spp.) and gulls
(Larus spp.), but not coyotes (Canis latrans) and common ravens (Corvus
corax). Among breeding pairs across habitats, we found increased nest
attendance in response to higher risks of nest predation by foxes, but not
coyotes, gulls, or ravens. Breeding pairs differed in the amount of
behavioral plasticity they exhibited in response to risks of nest
predation. Our results suggest that risks of nest predation differentially
influence behavioral responses of snowy plovers depending on the predator
species, and the amount of behavioral plasticity may depend on
characteristics of breeding adults.