Passerine Birds Nesting close to the Nests of birds of Prey

Abstract

The present paper gives an account of observations of the passerine birds nesting in associa-tion with some species of birds of prey in central Honshu in 1968-84.
1) Of 11 nests of Grey-faced Buzzrard-eagles Butastur indicus, Tree Sparrows Passer montanus, which normally do not occur in the nesting site of Butastur, were frequently observed at 9 nests;9 nests of Tree Sparrows were also found within a radius of several meters of 4 nests of Butastur.Moreover, the Tree Sparrows occurred there only from mid-May to early July, the period of breeding of Butastur.
2) Of 6 nests of Honey Buzzards Pernis apivorus, 4 nests were associated with the breeding of the sparrows, whose 2 nests were found very close to the nests of the buzzards.
3) At 10 nests of Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawks Accipiter gularis, flocks of Azure-winged Magpies Cyanopica cyana were often observed and 7 nests of the magpies were found within a radius of 10 m at 5 nests of Accipiter.The other 2 nests of the sparrowhawks were abandoned before the magpie started to breed.However, before the abandonment the magpies often visited the nesting sites of the sparrowhawks.
5) No passerine birds were observed to breed at or close to 19 nests of Goshawks Accipiper gentilis.