The effect of insect food availability on songbird reproductive success and chick body condition: Evidence from a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Reports of declines in abundance and biomass of insects and other invertebrates from around the world have raised concerns about food limitation that could have profound impacts for insectivorous species. Food availability can clearly affect species; however, there is considerable variation among studies in whether this effect is evident, and thus a lack of clarity over the generality of the relationship. To understand how decreased food availability due to invertebrate declines will affect bird populations, we conducted a systematic review and used meta‐analytic structural equation modelling, which allowed us to treat our core variables of interest as latent variables estimated by the diverse ways in which researchers measure fecundity and chick body condition. We found a moderate positive effect of food availability on chick body condition and a strong positive effect on reproductive success. We also found a negative relationship between chick body condition and reproductive success. Our results demonstrate that food is generally a limiting factor for breeding songbirds. Our analysis also provides evidence for a consistent trade‐off between chick body condition and reproductive success, demonstrating the complexity of trophic dynamics important for these vital rates. Declines in abundance and biomass of insects and other invertebrates could have profound impacts for insectivores. To understand how decreased food availability due to invertebrate declines will affect bird populations, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analytic structural equation model, finding a moderate positive effect of food availability on chick body condition and a strong positive effect on reproductive success. Our results demonstrate that food is generally a limiting factor for breeding songbirds and provide evidence for a consistent trade‐off between chick body condition and reproductive success.