Investigating the ecological factors and processes shaping nest survival is of great importance for assessing the breeding success of bird populations and understanding their spatio-temporal dynamics. Here, this question is addressed for the Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis), an expanding Afro-tropical bird in the Tunisian oasis habitat. This study took place in Kettana oasis, in south-eastern Tunisia. Natural Laughing Dove nests were searched for and monitored by means of regular visits, from the discovery date until the end of the breeding attempt (i.e. fledging or failure). Data were then used to investigate the relevance of laying date, nest age (days after clutch initiation), nest height and vegetation structure in the close nest tree environment as predictors of daily nest survival rate, using logistic-exposure models that accounted for heterogeneity in monitoring period among the studied nests. Models including different combinations of covariates were ranked according to their AICc scores, and the model-averaging technique was used for the assessment of the effects of covariates on daily nest survival rate. Vegetation structure in the close nest tree environment and nest age provided important predictors of daily nest survival rate, whereas neither nest height nor laying date showed significant effects. Daily nest survival rate was negatively associated with the presence of date palm trees in the close nest tree environment, but it was positively related to nest age. Daily nest survival rate was higher during the post-hatching stage than during the pre-hatching stage. Nests placed on fruit trees close to clumps of palm trees suffered higher predation risks compared to those placed on fruit trees situated far from palm trees. This is probably because palm tree clumps provided refuges for nest predators, notably the Black Rat (Rattus rattus) which has been reported to be the main nest predator in the oasis habitat. The predatory activity of this rodent seemed more directed against eggs than nestlings, which may explain the observed increase in daily survival rate with nest age.

中文翻译：

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突尼斯南部笑鸽子（Spinelopelia senegalensis）的巢生存率的驱动因素。

研究影响鸟巢生存的生态因素和过程对于评估鸟类种群的繁殖成功和了解其时空动态非常重要。在这里，这个问题针对的是“笑鸽”（Spilopelia senegalensis），这是突尼斯绿洲栖息地中不断扩大的非洲热带鸟类。这项研究是在突尼斯东南部的Kettana绿洲进行的。从发现日期到繁殖尝试结束（即出雏或失败），都要定期探访并搜寻自然笑鸽巢。然后使用数据调查紧密巢树环境中的筑巢日期，巢龄（离合开始后的天数），巢高和植被结构的相关性，以此作为每日巢生存率的预测指标，使用逻辑暴露模型，这些模型说明了研究巢穴在监测期内的异质性。根据AICc评分对包括不同协变量组合的模型进行排名，并使用模型平均技术评估协变量对每日巢生存率的影响。紧密的巢树环境和巢龄的植被结构是每日巢生存率的重要预测指标，而巢高度和产卵日期均未显示显着影响。日巢存活率与紧密巢树环境中枣椰树的存在呈负相关，但与巢龄成正相关。孵化后阶段的日巢生存率高于孵化前阶段。与放置在远离棕榈树的果树上的巢相比，放置在靠近棕榈树的果树上的巢具有更高的捕食风险。这可能是因为棕榈树丛为巢状捕食者提供了庇护所，特别是黑鼠（Rattus rattus），据报道，它是绿洲栖息地的主要巢状捕食者。这种啮齿动物的捕食活动似乎比雏鸟更能抵抗卵子，这可​​以解释观察到的每日生存率随巢龄的增加而增加。