Picky Palmchats (Dulus dominicus) : do they really prefer to nest in royal palms?

Abstract

Palmchats (Dulus dominicus) are widespread, medium-sized passerines endemic to Hispaniola. Palmchats build large, intricate stick nests mostly in palm trees, sometimes in deciduous trees, and rarely on the ground. The purpose of this study was to determine which palm tree species Palmchats nest in, and what factors influence tree choice for nest building. At sites with four different palm species, we found that Palmchats preferred royal palms (Roystonea borinquena) and Hispaniolan silver thatch palms (Coccothrinax argentea) for nesting over cana (Sabal domingensis) and coconut palms (Cocos nucifera). Palm trees with nests are taller and have a larger circumference at breast height than neighboring trees without nests, regardless of tree species.