A silver spoon for a golden future: long‐term effects of natal origin on fitness prospects of oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus)

Abstract

Summary1. Long-term effects of conditions during early development on fitness are important for life history evolution and population ecology. Using multistrata mark-recapture models on 20 years of data, we quantified the relation between rearing conditions and lifetime fitness in a long-lived shorebird, the oystercatcher ( Haematopus ostralegus ). We addressed specifically the relative contribution of short-and long-term effects of rearing conditions to overall fitness consequences. 2. Rearing conditions were defined by differences in natal habitat quality, in which there is a clear dichotomy in our study population. In the first year of life, fledglings from high-quality natal origin had a 1·3 times higher juvenile survival. Later in life (age 3-11), individuals of high-quality natal origin had a 1·6 times higher adult prebreeder survival. The most striking effect of natal habitat quality was that birds that were reared on high-quality territories had a higher probability of settling in high-quality habitat (44% vs. 6%). Lifetime reproductive success of individuals born in high-quality habitat was 2·2 times higher than that of individuals born in low-quality habitat. This difference increased further when fitness was calculated over several generations, due to a correlation between the quality of rearing conditions of parents and their offspring. 3. Long-term effects of early conditions contributed more to overall fitness differences as short-term consequences, contrary to common conceptions on this issue. 4. This study illustrates that investigating only short-term effects of early conditions can lead to the large underestimation of fitness consequences. We discuss how long-term consequences of early conditions may affect settlement decisions and source-sink population interactions.

Effects of rearing conditions on natal dispersal processes in a long‐lived predator bird

“…This study illustrates the fact that the rearing conditions under which Bonelli’s eagle nestlings develop have strong consequences on relevant components of the natal dispersal process (Cam & Aubry, 2011; Rödel et al., 2009; Van De Pol et al., 2006), such as the survival until recruitment, the recruitment age, and the natal dispersal distance. A detailed study of natal dispersal was made possible by intensive long‐term monitoring of the study species performed over a large geographical area that included the ringing of nestlings, the taking of morphometric measurements, and the recording of survival, reproduction, and recruitment information, as well as the use of generalized linear mixed models to test several relevant hypotheses on this topic (see Table 7 for a summary of our results).…”

“…Conditions under which individuals develop may have strong consequences for their future performance (Rödel et al., 2009; Van De Pol et al., 2006). However, measuring these so‐called rearing conditions is challenging, particularly in wild animals, as they may depend on a large set of factors interacting in a complex fashion (e.g., parental care, feeding rates, food quality, and exposure to diseases).…”

“…In addition, an understanding of the impact of rearing conditions may be highly useful in management and conservation, yet the potential consequences for future survival of offspring reared under poor environmental conditions are usually ignored. Conditions during early life vary owing to differences in parental and environmental quality (Sergio et al., 2009; Van De Pol, Bruinzeel, Heg, Van Der Jeugd, & Verhulst, 2006), and a large body of evidence exists to show that favorable rearing conditions are beneficial for individuals, particularly in short‐term effects such as increased juvenile survival (Rémy et al., 2011; Rödel et al., 2009). In this sense, Green and Cockburn (2001) and Sergio et al.…”

“…This gap in our knowledge is understandable given that effects of rearing conditions are less pronounced during middle and late life stages (Van De Pol et al., 2006). In addition, individuals of long‐lived highly mobile species such as birds are difficult to monitor over the time and spatial spans on which their vital activity takes place (Kenward, Rushton, Perrins, Macdonald, & South, 2002; Newton, Mcgrady, & Oli, 2016).…”

Observational field studies reveal wild birds responding to early-life stresses with resilience, plasticity, and intergenerational effects

“…Similarly, choughs that fledged in an unfavorable region showed poor adult survival, irrespective of the region they bred in (Reid et al 2006). Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) that fledged in poor quality natal territories bred in poor quality territories (generally distinct from their natal ones) and showed diminished lifetime reproductive success (van de Pol et al 2006). Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) sexes clearly differ.…”