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THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY • Vol. 124. No. 1. March 2012 
TABLE 2. Aromatic species in nests of Eurasian Blue Tits vs. available aromatic species in nesting habitats. 
Assessment is based on Wilson's 95% Cl comparing the percentage of nests with fragments of each aromatic species (Use) 
with the percentage of sampling units with that species (Availability). 
Aromatic plant species' 
Percent of nests with aromatic plant species (Use) 
~ Percent of sample units containing 
Mean 95% Cl the species (Availability) 
Use vs. Availability’ 
Calamintha baetica 
30.77 
12.68—48.86 
2.14 
Cistus psilosepalus 
3.85 
0-11.38 
0.71 
C. salviifolius 
3.85 
0-11.38 
2.14 
Daphne gnidium 
0 
_ 
2.86 
Dittrichia viscosa 
30.77 
12.68—18.86 
2.86 
Foeniculum vutgare 
0 
0 71 
Geranium robertianum 
0 
7 86 
Hypericum perfoliatum 
0 
7 |4 
Juniperus Phoenicia 
0 
0 71 
Lavandula dentata 
15.38 
1.24-29.53 
0 
Lonicera peridymenum 
0 
0 71 
Mentha spp. 
7.69 
0-18.14 
o 
Origanum virens 
3.85 
0-11.38 
2 14 
Rosmarinus officinalis 
0 
1.43 
More 
No difference 
No difference 
Less 
More 
Less 
Less 
Less 
Less 
More 
Less 
No difference 
No difference 
Less 
b h T! in i,lphubc,ical ,,Mjcr - °"'y detected in nests and on line transect, arc listed. 
above the S a ar0Wa " C ^ mnrf ™ ' ESS " ,an ****** if ** proporti.an at sample units containing that species was respccuvelv below«, 
2009b). Mennerat et al. (2009a) found that choice 
ol aromatic plants in nests was related to 
individual female preferences repeatable both 
within and across years. The major use of the 
three aromatic shrubby species most frequently 
detected in nests [D. viscosa. L dentata. and C. 
baetica) suggests Eurasian Blue Tits actively 
search for plants that give them protection, as 
demonstrated by Lambrechts and Dos Santos 
(2000). This major use may be explained by the 
richness of terpenes with insecticidal properties: 
D. viscosa has in its chemical composition 
sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes working as 
insecticides, bactericides, and fungicides (Ibrahim 
et al. 2001, Blanc et al. 2006. Mamoci el al. 
2011); C. baetica extracts and essential oils have 
showed positive effecLs against bacteria, fungi, 
and insects that affect stocked cereals and seeds 
(Matos 2011); L. dentata has an intense fragrance 
produced by oils rich in beta-pinenc (Bousmaha et 
al. 2005), a chemical compound known as a 
potent insect repellent (Freeman and Beattie 
2008). 
Our observations of nest composition an 
structure indicate dried needles of P. pinea wet 
used as a building material. However, a seeon 
Junction of pine needles as aromatic fragment 
cannot be ignored due to the richness of Pint, 
m P t'«n teip fU eS ' Macchioni et al- (2002) foum 
hat 58.9 to 62.5% of the essential oils of needle 
branches, and cones of p . pinea are Iimonen “* 
compound known to decrease malaria parasite 
progression (Moura et al. 2001), and to reduce 
fleas and ticks on domestic animals (Hinkle 
2010). We could not reject the null hypothesis 
(hat nest survival rate was independent of the 
presence of aromatic plants in the nest. This may 
be due to: (1) the small sample size of nests, and 
(2) because, ultimately, nearly all nests contained 
fragments of aromatic plants considering the 
presence of pine needles in 25 of the 26 nests, 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
We thank Rita S. C. A. Moreira and the Lisbon City Ha l 
lor Held support and facilities. We are grateful to Adcle 
Mennerat and an anonymous referee for helpful comments 
improving an earlier version of the manuscript. 
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