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Data from: Flexible responses to wildfires by Great Tits (Parus major) breeding in forests of northeastern Algeria

Mennour, Hocine1; Pagani-Núñez, Emilio2; Bouzegag, Abdelaziz1; Bensouilah, Taqiyeddine3

Published May 09, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.t76hdr8g7

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May 09, 2026 version files 81.32 KB

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Abstract

Wildfires are increasingly frequent in forests from arid regions due to human activities and climate change, deeply changing vegetation structure and the availability of nesting materials and food resources for breeding birds. There is however a paucity of knowledge about bird responses to wildfires in Mediterranean forests, where the frequency of wildfires is expected to increase due to climate change. To contribute to filling this knowledge gap, we used the Great Tit (Parus major) as a study model to evaluate nest construction and parental investment in response to post-fire habitat changes in Mila Province, northeastern Algeria. We conducted the study at three sites in two forests, representing burned (severely impacted by 2019 fires) and unburned (at least since 1997) habitats, in order to assess how these fire regimes shaped reproductive investment across its different stages, from nest construction to fledging success. Nest materials in unburned forests were dominated by moss, while nests in burned areas were constructed with more fibers and contained more dust, reflecting a shift to alternative materials when moss was unavailable. Clutch size correlated positively with the proportion of fibers but was unaffected by fire regime. While eggs were lighter in burned forests, nestling body condition was not directly affected. Hatching success was influenced mainly by first-egg laying date, with early clutches producing more hatchlings. Notably, fledging success was higher in burned than in unburned forests. Overall, our research shows that wildfires are likely to alter nest materials, but this does not necessarily entail a reduction in the number of fledglings produced. Moreover, despite the high flexibility of Great Tits, their breeding performance was still strongly influenced by seasonal-related and individual quality factors. By focusing on breeding birds in North Africa, our study provides timely insights into avian resilience to wildfire disturbance in a region where fire risk is projected to increase.