Abstract

ABSTRACT A Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus nest at Abernethy Forest, Highland, was video-recorded from the laying of the first egg to fledging, allowing a detailed description of nest attendance by the parents.The four eggs were laid over a period of four days, hatched over three days, and the four chicks fledged over a period of just seconds.The female incubated the eggs alone, and her attendance at the nest increased as the clutch was laid. On average, she left the nest 2В­6 times per day for an average total of 11.5 minutes per day during incubation. She spent each night incubating and then brooding the young until they were 8В­10 days old. By day, the amount of brooding of the chicks declined steadily and no longer took place by the time the chicks were 7В­9 days old. During the laying and incubation periods, the male visited the incubating female 7.1 times per day on average to feed her. The visit rate increased to a peak of 15 per day after the chicks hatched, but declined during the chick-rearing period, over which time the female made a greater contribution to feeding the chicks.Visits by the parents were synchronised, perhaps to minimise advertising the nest to predators. In total, the female spent 534 hours at the nest (328 during incubation and 206 during brood rearing).The corresponding figures for the male were 1.0 hour during incubation (99 visits) and 4.1 hours during brood rearing (268 visits).he breeding biology of crossbills Loxia has been well