Antilles el al • NESTING OF YELLOW-OLIVE FLATBILLS 
551 
Eggs laid 
Precipitation 
400 
350 
300 
250 
200 
150 
100 
50 
0 
400 -p- 
350 £ 
300 
250 O 
200 § 
150 '9- 
o 
100 0 ) 
50 °- 
0 
Month 
FIG. 3. Frequency of eggs of Yellow-olive Flatbills laid and total monthly precipitation for 1995-2000 (A-E) in the 
Barreiro Reserve. Belo Horizonte. Brazil. 
such as storms, which would break tree branches 
or cause small trees to fall. Estimated Mayfield 
survival probability was 26% (Cl = 17-36%) and 
'he probability of survival during incubation (53%) 
was similar to that during the nestling period (49%) 
(Z = 0.4. P = 0.29). The probability of an egg 
producing a fledgling was 10%. There was a 49% 
probability for partial egg loss during incubation 
and 20% for partial nestling loss; these differences 
were not significant (2 = I .8, I J = 0.21; Table I > 
based on 95% confidence intervals. Most causes of 
nestling loss were not evaluated, as nestlings would 
disappear before expected Hedging dates without 
evidence of predators or signs of nestling or nest 
destruction. Known causes of nestling losses were 
nest falling and nest destruction due to rainfall or 
other unknown factors. Yellow-olive Flatbills 
apparently use old nests as cues for selecting nest 
sites, and frequently built nests close to inactive 
nests from previous years, which led to a small 
increase in nest survival (MAM, unpubl. data). 
DISCUSSION 
The Yellow-olive Flatbill has a short breeding 
season, similar to other passerines in southeastern 
Brazil (Marini et al. 2007). The incubation period 
