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16 results for “nestling condition”
Can diet composition estimates using stable isotope analysis of feathers predict growth and condition in nestling mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides)
<p>Insectivorous birds breeding in seasonal environments provision their dependent young during periods when prey diversity and abundance vary. Consequently, the composition and nutritional value of diets parents feed to their offspring may differ within and among broods, potentially affecting the condition of nestlings. In a population of mountain bluebirds (<i>Sialia currucoides</i>), we used two methods to estimate diet composition for individual nestlings: direct observation of provisioning using video recordings at 5 and 9 days post-hatch, and stable isotopes of the δ<sup>13</sup>C and δ<sup>15</sup>N in nestling feathers and prey followed by analysis with mixing models. We determined the macronutrient content (% fat and lean mass) and estimated the metabolized energy from each type of prey. We evaluated whether different methods of estimating diet composition would produce similar results, and if the types of prey nestlings ate at one or both ages affected their morphology, growth rates, or blood ketone concentration. We found that bluebirds fed their young 5 main types of prey: beetles, cicadas, grasshoppers, insect larvae, and spiders. Both observational and mixing model estimates of diet composition indicated that larvae are traded-off with grasshoppers, and that fewer larvae are provided to nestlings as the season progresses. In evaluating how diet influences individual growth and condition, estimates from direct observations had greater explanatory power than those from mixing models, indicating that diets rich in the most energy-dense prey (greatest fat content; cicadas and larvae) were associated with larger size and higher body condition, and faster rate of mass gain and growth of tarsus. Lower value prey had more limited, specific effects on nestlings, but may still be important dietary components. While isotopic methods produced estimates of diet composition that were generally informative, when applied to explain the growth and condition of nestlings they proved less useful. </p>
The delayed effect of climatic conditions on pre-fledging nestling haematocrit in a suboscine species in Patagonia
<p>Haematocrit, the proportion of blood comprising erythrocytes, is often used as a proxy of individual condition. Nestling haematocrit is influenced by several factors, but ambient temperature is generally agreed as a key driver. It is unclear which day(s) in embryonic or nestling development are most influential in determining pre-fledgling haematocrit. This is important, because if we are able to identify what day(s) nestlings are physiologically most vulnerable to climatic conditions, this may inform future conservation management and help mitigate the effects. We investigated the effect of ambient temperature, precipitation, body size, brood size, age, food abundance and habitat on nestling haematocrit in <em>Aphrastura</em> <em>spinicauda</em> (thorn-tailed Rayaditos). We collected this data from two climatically different locations in Chile: Northern Patagonia (Pucón) and Sub-Antarctic Patagonia (Navarino Island), located ~1800 km further south. We aimed to identify the key drivers of nestling haematocrit and find when nestlings are physiologically most vulnerable to climatic conditions. We confirm that ambient temperature is the key driver of nestling haematocrit, with increasing ambient temperatures nestling haematocrit decreased. However, precipitation also affected haematocrit in the late incubation stage. At low and high precipitation, nestling haematocrit was low and is optimal in light rainfall. Our results show a delayed effect of ambient temperature and precipitation in late incubation and on the day of hatching which can determine pre-fledgling haematocrit, which may cause lower post-fledgling fitness. We found that climatic conditions on the day haematocrit was collected were not important in determining haematocrit. We found that haematocrit was higher in the sub-Antarctic area and that higher temperatures and precipitation on the day of hatching will result in lower nestling haematocrit and poorer pre-fledgling condition. As atmospheric temperatures rise, nestling fitness is at risk. This is a threat to many bird species, especially those in locations vulnerable to climate breakdown.</p>
The delayed effect of climatic conditions on pre-fledging nestling haematocrit in a suboscine species in Patagonia
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Can diet composition estimates using stable isotope analysis of feathers predict growth and condition in nestling mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides)
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Giant babax (Babax Waddelli) helpers cheat at provisioning nestlings in poor conditions
<p><span>In cooperatively breeding species, helpers take higher risks of getting lower return of investment than breeders due to the incongruity between helping and breeding. Helpers can deal with the risk by curtailing their investment or, if possible, claiming immediate rewards in the cooperation. Given breeders may rely largely on the aid of helpers to raise their offspring, it can be hypothesized that helpers are more likely to make adaptive responses to the incongruity-associated risk in adverse habitats than in good ones. This hypothesis was tested in the giant babax (<em>Babax</em> <em>waddelli</em>) by comparing helpers' provisioning behaviors between two breeding populations in adverse high-altitude and good low-altitude environments. These two populations differed significantly in their egg size and nestlings' growth patterns. Helpers in both populations made great contributions to the raising of offspring. During provisioning, helpers in the high-altitude population exhibited significantly higher feeding rates but delivered fewer insects per feeding bout than their counterparts in the low-altitude population. Helpers in both populations displayed a cheating strategy of 'non-feeding' to reduce investment in provisioning. They pursued immediate excess rewards via kleptoparasitism of nestling fecal sacs in the high-altitude population but not in the low-altitude one. Accordingly, breeders made different antagonistic actions toward the cheating helpers between populations. Our findings confirm that helpers are prone to deceiving cooperation under poor breeding conditions and that breeders' tolerance of the cheating behavior of helpers is determined by their dependence on the helpers' aid.</span></p>
Giant babax (Babax Waddelli) helpers cheat at provisioning nestlings in poor conditions
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Anthropogenic noise alters parental behavior and nestling development, but not fledging condition
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Data from: Condition-dependent expression of carotenoid- and melanin-based plumage colour of northern flicker nestlings revealed by manipulation of brood size
Carotenoid-based colouration in feathers is widely accepted to be a reliable signal of the health of an individual, but the condition-dependence of melanin-based plumage ornaments has been highly debated. Using broods that were manipulated in size, we tested whether nutritional stress during rearing affected the carotenoid pigmentation in secondary feathers and the size, shape, and symmetry of melanin spots on breast plumage of northern flicker Colaptes auratus nestlings. Two measures of carotenoid colour (chroma and brightness) of secondary flight feathers did not vary according to brood size treatment, but in a larger dataset from the population, carotenoid chroma was positively associated with nestling mass. Nestlings from experimentally enlarged broods had smaller melanin spots than those from reduced broods, which is some of the first experimental evidence that melanin ornament size in growing nestlings is condition-dependent. However, the shape and symmetry of the melanin breast spots was not associated with nestling mass. Sexual dimorphism was apparent in both types of pigmentation and future studies should investigate whether there are any trade-offs for nestlings between investing in carotenoid colouration and melanisation and whether trade-offs differ between the sexes.
Data from: Physiological conditions and genetic controls of phaeomelanin pigmentation in nestling barn swallows
Phaeomelanin is a common pigment that confers a reddish color to animals. Since phaeomelanogenesis requires the sulfhydryl group from cysteine or glutathione (GSH), which is an important antioxidant, this pigmentation and the associated coloration may be an honest signal, whereby only high-quality individuals (e.g., with lower oxidative stress) are able to develop showy plumage. The present study tested the mechanisms underlying the honest signal hypothesis using nestling barn swallows, Hirundo rustica gutturalis, which exhibit phaeomelanic throat plumage patches. We examined the relationship between phaeomelanin pigmentation levels and physiological condition during trait development, and the expression of the phaeomelanin-related gene agouti-signaling protein (ASIP) and the GSH-related gene glutathione S-transferase (GST) in throat feather follicles. We found that during phaeomelanogenesis, heavier nestlings produced more pigmented feathers, indicating that nestlings with high phaeomelanin concentrations are in better condition. We also found that phaeomelanin concentration was negatively correlated with total GSH level, but not significantly related with measures of oxidative stress. Among the GST genes, GSTM3 exhibited the highest expression in the developing feathers during phaeomelanogenesis. The expression levels of ASIP were positively associated with the amount of phaeomelanin deposition and negatively associated with the expression of GSTM3, reducing the amount of GSH that was available as an antioxidant. These findings suggest that high-quality individuals produce high concentrations of phaeomelanin in their plumage without experiencing increased oxidative stress, despite phaeomelanin production, which is triggered by ASIP, potentially actively consuming the sulfhydryl group from GSH.
Contrasting sensitivity of nestling and fledgling Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica body mass to local weather conditions
<p>Local weather can influence the growth and development of young birds, either indirectly, by modifying prey availability, or directly, by affecting energetic trade‐offs. Such effects can have lasting implications for life history traits, but the nature of these effects may vary with the developmental stage of the birds, and over timescales from days to weeks. We examined the interactive effects of temperature, rainfall and wind speed on the mass of nestling and fledgling Barn Swallows <i>Hirundo rustica</i>, both on the day of capture and averaging weather across the time since hatching. At the daily timescale, nestling mass was negatively correlated with temperature, but the strength of this association depended on the level of rainfall and wind speed; nestlings were typically heavier on dry or windy days, and the negative effect of temperature was strongest under calm or wet conditions. At the early lifetime timescale (i.e. from hatching to post‐fledging), nestling mass was negatively correlated with temperature at low wind speed. Fledgling body mass was less sensitive to weather; the only weather effects evident were a negative correlation with temperature at the daily scale under high rainfall that became slightly positive under low rainfall. These changes are consistent with weather effects on availability and distribution of insects within the landscape (e.g. causing high concentrations of flying insects), and with the effects of weather variation on nest microclimate. These results together demonstrate the impacts of weather on chick growth, over immediate (daily) and longer term (nestling/fledgling lifetime) timescales. This shows that sensitivity to local weather conditions varies across the early lifetime of young birds (nestling‐fledgling stages) and illustrates the mechanisms by which larger scale (climate) variations influence the body condition of individuals.</p>
Data from: Physiological conditions and genetic controls of phaeomelanin pigmentation in nestling barn swallows
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Data from: Effects of experimental nest treatment with herbs on ectoparasites and body condition of nestlings
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Data from: Condition-dependent expression of carotenoid- and melanin-based plumage colour of northern flicker nestlings revealed by manipulation of brood size
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Contrasting sensitivity of nestling and fledgling Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica body mass to local weather conditions
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Made-up mouths with preen oil reveal genetic and phenotypic conditions of starling nestlings
<p>Animal colouration are due to pigments, nanostructures, or to the cosmetic use of natural products, and plays a central role in social communication. The role of cosmetic colouration has traditionally been focussed on scenarios of sexual selection, but it could also be used in other contexts. Here, by using spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor) as a model system, we explore the possibility that nestlings cosmetically used their intensely yellow coloured uropygial secretion to signal their genetic and/or phenotypic quality to their parents. In agreement with the hypothetical cosmetic use of the uropygial secretion, (i) video recorded nestlings collected secretion with the bill at the age of feathering, (ii) cotton swabs turned to the colour of secretion after rubbing with them nestlings' gape, and (iii) gape and skin colourations correlated positively with that of secretion. Furthermore, we found that (iv) secretion colouration has a genetic component, and (v) associated positively with Vitamin-E supplementation and (vi) with plasma carotenoid concentration, which highlights the informative value of nestling secretion. Finally, (vii) colouration of begging related traits and of secretion of nestlings predicted parental feeding preferences. Consequently, all these results strongly suggest that the cosmetic use of coloured uropygial secretion might also play a role in parent-offspring communication, complementing or amplifying information provided by the flamboyant coloured gapes and skin of nestlings. The use of makeups by offspring to communicate with parents has been scarcely explored and we hope that these results will encourage further investigations in birds and some other taxa with parental care. Keywords: Antioxidants, Begging, Makeup hypothesis, Parent-offspring communication, Uropygium --</p>
Made-up mouths with preen oil reveal genetic and phenotypic conditions of starling nestlings
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