Data from: A comparison of nest structure and materials in three species of penduline tits (Remiz spp.)
Data files
Sep 08, 2026 version files 32.46 KB
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Nest_data_Dryad.xlsx
20.47 KB
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README.md
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Abstract
Bird nest construction is shaped by both avian morphology and ecological context. In this study, we provide the first quantitative descriptions of nest structural parameters and material composition for the White-crowned Penduline Tit (Remiz coronatus) and the Black-headed Penduline Tit (R. macronyx). We also collected nest data for the Chinese Penduline Tit (R. consobrinus), allowing a descriptive comparison of nest architecture and nest materials across penduline tits. By quantifying nest structural parameters, nest mass, and material composition, we documented interspecific and interpopulation variation in several nest traits, including nest width, wall thickness, and corridor length. In the sampled nests, Chinese and White-crowned Penduline Tits used mainly shredded plant stems, plant down, and wool, with mud additionally recorded in the White-crowned Penduline Tit, whereas Black-headed Penduline Tit nests consisted primarily of shredded reed leaves and reed down. Exploratory comparisons further suggested that populations with greater mean body length tended to have larger nest inner diameters, and that species with larger mean beak size tended to use wider nest fibers. Although these comparisons are descriptive only, our study provides new comparative natural history data on nest architecture and material use in penduline tits, laying a foundation for future work on the morphological and ecological drivers of nest construction in this group.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.5tb2rbpkm
General description
This dataset contains measurements of nest structural parameters, nest-material fiber widths, and nest masses for three species of penduline tits: Remiz consobrinus (CH), R. coronatus (WC), and R. macronyx (BH). The dataset accompanies a study describing and comparing nest structure and nest-material characteristics among these three species.
The Excel workbook Nest_data_Dryad.xlsx contains three worksheets:
- Nest structural parameters
- Fiber width
- Nest mass
Missing-value convention
NA indicates that a measurement was unavailable in the original dataset.
In the worksheet “Nest structural parameters”, NA occurs for five variables (CorridorLength1, CorridorLength2, Entrance Perimeter, SideThickness, and Inner Diameter) in the CH-XH records. These measurements were excluded because the measurement methods used for the CH-XH nests in that year differed from the standardized methods used for the subsequent data collection, making the measurements unsuitable for inclusion in the comparative dataset. Therefore, these values are coded as NA and should be interpreted as unavailable/not comparable rather than as zero values.
In the worksheet “Nest mass”, the BH row contains seven available nest-mass measurements. Columns 8–10 are coded as NA because no additional measurements were available.
NA does not indicate a measurement of zero.
1. Worksheet: Nest structural parameters
Description
This worksheet contains nest structural measurements for 230 nests from three penduline tit species and different sampling populations/localities. All linear measurements are recorded in millimetres (mm), and nest volume is recorded in millilitres (mL).
Variables
| Variable | Description | Unit / coding |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Species and sampling population/locality code | BH = R. macronyx; CH = R. consobrinus; WC = R. coronatus. The suffixes (NLT, XH, YRD, BG, and HC) identify the sampling population/locality used in the dataset. |
| Height | Total nest height | mm |
| FrontWidth | Width of the nest measured from the front view | mm |
| SideWidth | Width of the nest measured from the side view | mm |
| CorridorLength1 | First corridor-length parameter used in the study; this is a distinct structural parameter rather than a repeated measurement | mm; NA = unavailable |
| CorridorLength2 | Second corridor-length parameter used in the study; this is a distinct structural parameter rather than a repeated measurement | mm; NA = unavailable |
| Entrance Perimeter | Perimeter of the nest entrance | mm; NA = unavailable |
| Volume (ml) | Nest volume | mL |
| BottomThickness | Thickness of the bottom wall of the nest | mm |
| SideThickness | Thickness of the side wall of the nest | mm; NA = unavailable |
| Inner Diameter | Internal diameter of the nest | mm; NA = unavailable |
| Year | Year in which the nest data were collected or recorded | year |
Category key for Species
The species code is followed by the code of the sampling site.
- CH-YRD: Remiz consobrinus, Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve (YRD)
- CH-XH: Remiz consobrinus, Xianghai National Nature Reserve (XH)
- WC-BG: Remiz coronatus, Burgen Beaver National Nature Reserve (BG)
- WC-HC: Remiz coronatus, Huocheng Ili River Valley National Wetland Park (HC)
- BH-NLT: Remiz macronyx, Nalati National Wetland Park (NLT)
Site-code key:
- YRD = Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve
- XH = Xianghai National Nature Reserve
- BG = Burgen Beaver National Nature Reserve
- HC = Huocheng Ili River Valley National Wetland Park
- NLT = Nalati National Wetland Park
2. Worksheet: Fiber width
Description
This worksheet contains measurements of the widths of nest-material fibers for the three study species. Each row represents one sampled nest, and columns 1–10 represent individual fiber-width measurements taken from that nest.
Variables
| Variable | Description | Unit / coding |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Species and sampling site code | CH-YRD = R. consobrinus at Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve; WC-HC = R. coronatus at Huocheng Ili River Valley National Wetland Park; BH-NLT = R. macronyx at Nalati National Wetland Park |
| 1 | First fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
| 2 | Second fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
| 3 | Third fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
| 4 | Fourth fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
| 5 | Fifth fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
| 6 | Sixth fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
| 7 | Seventh fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
| 8 | Eighth fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
| 9 | Ninth fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
| 10 | Tenth fiber-width measurement from a nest | mm |
3. Worksheet: Nest mass
Description
This worksheet contains nest-mass measurements for the three penduline tit species. Each numeric column represents one individual nest-mass measurement.
Variables
| Variable | Description | Unit / coding |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Species code | CH = R. consobrinus; WC = R. coronatus; BH = R. macronyx |
| 1–10 | Individual nest-mass measurements | g; NA = measurement unavailable |
Notes
- CH: 10 nest-mass measurements
- WC: 10 nest-mass measurements
- BH: 7 nest-mass measurements; columns 8–10 are
NAbecause no additional nest-mass measurements were available.
Software
The dataset can be opened with standard spreadsheet software or imported into statistical software such as R.
Recommended citation
Please cite the associated publication when using these data.