Anthropogenic nesting substrates increase parental fitness in a Neotropical songbird, the Pale-breasted Thrush (Turdus leucomelas)

The failure of breeding attempts is a major hindrance to bird reproduction, making nest site choice under strong selective pressure. Urbanization may offer lower risk of nest predation to certain bird species, but the impact of using anthropogenic structures as nesting sites on parental fitness is seldom studied. We studied the effect of anthropogenic substrates and brood parasitism by the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) on the nest success of a Neotropical songbird, the Pale-breasted Thrush (Turdus leucomelas). We monitored 263 nesting attempts between 2017 and 2020 to estimate daily survival rate (DSR), which represents the probability of a given nest survive until the next day. DSR was modelled as a response variable in function of substrate type (plants as “natural” or human buildings as “artificial”) and brood parasitism as fixed factors, using as covariates year, a linear and a quadratic seasonal trends. Additionally, we tested the effect of these same explanatory variables ..., , , # Data from: Anthropogenic nesting substrates increase parental fitness in a Neotropical songbird, the Pale-breasted Thrush (Turdus leucomelas)

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0k6djhb63](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.0k6djhb63)

Data on nesting attempts of the Pale-breasted Thrush (*Turdus leucomelas*) in southeast of Brazil.

## Description of the data and file structure

These data were gathered by monitoring nests of the study species in two periurban areas of southeast of Brazil and report basical information about nest success and other variables, such as year, study site (São Carlos or Rio Claro municipalities), type of nesting substrate (human-buildings or trees) and the presence of brood parasitism by the Shiny Cowbird (*Molothrus bonariensis*). Other information include the day of the breeding season each nest was first and last checked, its age at discovering and its fate (successful, when at least one thrush chick survived until fledging or failed otherwise), as described bel...