Determinants of male territorial behavior in a Hungarian collared flycatcher population: plumage traits of residents and challengers

Garamszegi, László Zsolt; Rosivall, Balázs; Hegyi, Gergely; Szöllősi, Eszter; Török, János; Eens, Marcel

doi:10.1007/s00265-006-0210-4

Cited by 76 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Twice each for 11 additional banded males (3 inland and 8 coastal), we simulated intrusion in 2005 using broadcast song only (via the methods described by Searcy et al 1997) to control for the effect of badge differences between the mount and the focal male on his behavioral response (Garamszegi et al 2006). Detailed descriptions of the methods of this experiment are described in Liu et al (2008).…”

Section: Reproductive and Territoriality Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between sexual and natural selection on the evolution of a plumage badge

et al. 2009

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The evolutionary stability of signals varies due to interactions between sexual and natural selection. A tidal-marsh sparrow, Melospiza georgiana nigrescens, possesses darker pigmentation than an inland-marsh sparrow, M. g. georgiana. Studies of featherdegrading bacteria and convergent evolution among salt-marsh vertebrates suggest this dark coloration is due to environmental selection. Sexually dichromatic swamp sparrow crowns, however, may be additionally under sexual selection. We investigated ties between two plumage patches (rusty cap and black forehead) and two behaviors (male-male aggression and parental care) in the coastal and inland subspecies to test the effect of sexual versus natural selection on badge evolution. Across both subspecies the extent of rusty feathers in the cap patch was correlated positively with parental care and negatively with aggression, and the extent of black feathers in the forehead patch was correlated positively with aggression. Males with larger forehead patches produced more offspring along the coast, while males with larger cap patches did so inland. The date of the first nesting attempt for both subspecies correlated with cap patch extent, suggesting a similar role for female choice. Natural selection likely accounts for darker coastal females. Coastal male head color, however, is darker due to increased selection for larger forehead patches via intrasexual competition, yet it remains largely rusty due to female choice for larger cap patches. Increased sexual dichromatism among coastal plain swamp sparrows thus

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Section: Reproductive and Territoriality Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between sexual and natural selection on the evolution of a plumage badge

et al. 2009

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“…One possible explanation is that large-patched males are subject to increased aggression during the mating period (Garamszegi et al 2006) and that increased stress may alter their parental behaviour even if they are of superior quality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a Swedish population of this species, the white wing patch is known to be important in extra-pair mate choice (Sheldon and Ellegren 1999) but was found to be unrelated to the body condition of the males (Garant et al 2004). In our Hungarian study population, however, wing patch size is unrelated to extra-pair paternity (Rosivall et al 2009), but it is a condition-dependent signal (Török et al 2003) and has an important role in male territorial behaviour (Garamszegi et al 2006). On the other hand, forehead patch is a condition-dependent signal in the Swedish population (Gustafsson et al 1995;Sheldon et al 1997;Qvarnström 1999) but not so in our Hungarian population (Hegyi et al 2002(Hegyi et al , 2006b.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…In our study species, the Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis), males have two heritable, sexually selected, white plumage characters (forehead patch and wing patch; Sheldon et al 1997;Sheldon and Ellegren 1999;Qvarnström et al 2000;Michl et al 2002;Garamszegi et al 2006); however, their function differs significantly between populations. In a Swedish population of this species, the white wing patch is known to be important in extra-pair mate choice (Sheldon and Ellegren 1999) but was found to be unrelated to the body condition of the males (Garant et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of parental quality and malaria infection on nestling performance in the Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis)

et al. 2009

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Plumage ornamentation often signals the quality of males and, therefore, female birds may choose elaborately ornamented mates to increase their fitness. Such mate choice may confer both direct and indirect benefits to the offspring. Males with elaborate ornaments may provide good genes, which can result in better nestling growth, survival or resistance against parasitic infections. However, these males may also provision their offspring with more food or food of better quality, resulting in nestlings growing at a higher rate or fledging in better condition. In this study, we examined if there was an association between male ornamentation and malaria infection in Collared Flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis). We also investigated offspring performance in relation to malaria infection in the parents and the quality of the genetic and rearing fathers (assessed by the size of two secondary sexual characters) under simulated good and bad conditions (using brood size manipulation). We found that secondary sexual characters did not signal the ability of males to avoid parasitic infections, and malaria infection in the genetic and the rearing parents had no effect on nestling growth and fledging size. Our results do show, however, that it may be beneficial for the females to mate with males with a large forehead patch because wing feathers of nestlings reared by large-patched males grew at a higher rate. Fast feather growth can result in earlier fledging which, in turn, could improve nestling survival in highly variable environments or under strong nest predation.

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“…Male forehead patch size is relatively less condition-dependent than male and female wing patch size [71], [72]. Male and female wing patch sizes, but not male forehead patch size, seem important in intrasexual competition [88], [89], but all three patch sizes seem to play a role in social mate acquisition [72], [102]. Plumage-level spectral features, on the other hand, have yet to be examined in this species.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of Spectral Reflectance across the Plumage: Implications for Mating Patterns

et al. 2011

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BackgroundIn complex sexual signaling systems such as plumage color, developmental or genetic links may occur among seemingly distinct traits. However, the interrelations of such traits and the functional significance of their integration rarely have been examined.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe investigated the parallel variation of two reflectance descriptors (brightness and UV chroma) across depigmented and melanized plumage areas of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis), and the possible role of integrated color signals in mate acquisition. We found moderate integration in brightness and UV chroma across the plumage, with similar correlation structures in the two sexes despite the strong sexual dichromatism. Patterns of parallel color change across the plumage were largely unrelated to ornamental white patch sizes, but they all showed strong assortative mating between the sexes. Comparing different types of assortative mating patterns for individual spectral variables suggested a distinct role for plumage-level color axes in mate acquisition.Conclusions/SignificanceOur results indicate that the plumage-level, parallel variation of coloration might play a role in mate acquisition. This study underlines the importance of considering potential developmental and functional integration among apparently different ornaments in studies of sexual selection.

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Determinants of male territorial behavior in a Hungarian collared flycatcher population: plumage traits of residents and challengers

Cited by 76 publications

References 54 publications

Interactions between sexual and natural selection on the evolution of a plumage badge

Interactions between sexual and natural selection on the evolution of a plumage badge

The effect of parental quality and malaria infection on nestling performance in the Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis)

Integration of Spectral Reflectance across the Plumage: Implications for Mating Patterns

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