Search for: [Abstract = "Marsh Tit, a secondary hole nesting bird, was studied in an area with superabundant holes \(the primeval forest in the Białowieża National Park, E. Poland\). It was not expected to find any relationship between hole size and either clutch size or breeding performance. Analysis of about 350 nest histories collected over 13 years revealed, as expected, no difference between breeding in medium\-sized or large holes, but birds using small holes \(lowest 25th percentile\) laid smaller clutches, fledged marginally fewer young and lost more broods than the birds using the two larger size classes. However, this variation was not due to differences in the timing of laying or the age of females across the hole classes. It is suggested that the use of small holes persisted because of the relatively low fitness energetic costs of making such a sub\-optimal choice."]

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