Experimental confirmation that avian plumage traits function as multiple status signals in winter contests

Chaine, Alexis S.; Roth, Allison M.; Shizuka, Daizaburo; Lyon, Bruce E.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.05.034

Cited by 26 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…badges of status: (Rohwer 1975;Maynard Smith & Parker 1976)], individual recognition should help settle contests in small groups (Pagel & Dawkins 1997). We previously confirmed that badges of status influence the outcomes of competition between pairs of unfamiliar golden-crowned sparrows (Chaine et al 2011(Chaine et al , 2013. The existence of stable groups where individual recognition could be favored would suggest that badges may be used in interactions during community formation or between communities, and that individual recognition might be more important within communities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

“…However, because the study did not explore the patterns of flock associations we do not yet know whether white-throated sparrows show the same patterns of network structure observed for golden-crowned sparrows. Zonotrichia sparrows, including golden-crowned sparrows, have also played a central role in the development of the theory of "badges of status"as a means of mediating social competition (Rohwer 1975;Rohwer & Ewald 1981;Watt 1986;Chaine et al 2011Chaine et al , 2013. Much of this work assumed that these birds live in fluid flocks where individual recognition is not possible.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Across‐year social stability shapes network structure in wintering migrant sparrows

et al. 2014

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"Across-year social stability shapes network structure in wintering migrant sparrows" (2014 IntroductionThe social structure of animal populations-e.g. the size, composition and stability of social groups-is a fundamental aspect of social evolution (Alexander 1974). In birds, studies of breeding systems have shown that ecological conditions can favor different social structures ranging from simple pairs to cooperative breeding groups (Emlen 1982). The winter social structure of year-round resident birds has also been investigated, but to a lesser degree than for the breeding season (Ekman 1989;Kraaijeveld & Dickinson 2001;Aplin et al. 2012). In migratory birds, the most basic aspect of winter social structure is known for many species-e.g. territoriality versus flocking in social groups. However, in species that form flocks (defined here as temporary aggregations of individuals in the same place at the same time), we know almost nothing about dynamics of flock membership over space and time (see Myers 1983;Piper & Wiley 1990;Conklin & Colwell 2008 for notable exceptions).Our lack of understanding of the winter societies of smallbodied birds is particularly surprising because these taxa were so crucial to the development of important theories in ecology. A large body of influential research on small-bodied birds in winter explored how food, predation and sociality interact to affect the evolution of optimal foraging (Stephens & Krebs 1986), sociality and optimal group size (Pulliam & Caraco 1984), energy management (Cuthill & Houston 1997), predator-prey interactions (Bertram 1978) and status signals (Rohwer 1975;Rohwer & Ewald 1981). For many of these topics, the pattern of group stability and the specific identities of group members matter. For example, the degree to which individuals form long-term associations could alter the dynamics of anti-predator behaviors and the form of cooperation involved Micheletta et al. 2012). In addition, the pattern of social structure also has critical implications for the mechanisms by which intragroup competition is mediated by signals (Rohwer 1975).In theory, the social structure of wintering birds could range from the small, highly stable groups observed in a variety of year-round resident birds (e.g. Ekman 1989) to short-term random associations with little or no structure (Myers 1983;Conklin & Colwell 2008). Between these two extremes, winter bird societies could also involve a complex mix of social stability and change in both space and timeoften termed fission-fusion dynamics (Aureli et al. 2008). Migration poses an added challenge to across-year stability because individuals that winter together do not necessarily breed together (Ryder et al. 2011;Seavy et al. 2012), and thus long-term social bonds must bridge a break in contact between winter seasons. However, high levels of site fidel- Published in Ecology Letters AbstractMigratory birds often form flocks on their wintering grounds, but important details of social structure such as the patterns of association betwe...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Across‐year social stability shapes network structure in wintering migrant sparrows

et al. 2014

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“…Gregarious species display badges of status (Tibbets & Safran, 2009;Chaine et al, 2013) and their signal phenotype probably expresses other aspects of their social environment (Dey, Dale & Quinn, 2014), which can be mediated through non-breeding moults. Gregarious species display badges of status (Tibbets & Safran, 2009;Chaine et al, 2013) and their signal phenotype probably expresses other aspects of their social environment (Dey, Dale & Quinn, 2014), which can be mediated through non-breeding moults.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing the evolution of moult in the non-breeding season: insights from the family Motacillidae

Guallar¹,

Figuerola

2016

Biol. J. Linn. Soc.

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The number of moults per annual cycle and their final spatial pattern (i.e. topography) show high interspecific variation in the order Passeriformes. Factors behind this variability remain obscure, especially for variability in spatial pattern among species. Here, we explored the relative influence of ten ecological, ontogenetic, social and sexual factors on the evolution of autumn moult (feather replacement largely undertaken by migratory species, which is not necessarily an independent episode within their moult cycle) and prealternate moult among Northern Hemisphere species of the family Motacillidae using phylogenetically controlled analyses, ancestral state reconstruction and analyses of correlated evolution. The results strongly support the presence of prealternate moult and absence of autumn moult as ancestral states in this family. A high rate of change between related species indicates phylogenetic independence among prealternate moult patterns and examined factors. Migration distance and gregariousness are the most important factors influencing prealternate moult evolution, and point toward natural selection and sociality as the most important evolutionary drivers of prealternate moult in Motacillidae. Breeding latitude, seasonal plumage change, winter plumage conspicuousness, sexual dichromatism, plumage maturation and extent of preformative moult show a minor influence, and suggest that ontogeny and sexual selection may have played a limited role in shaping prealternate moult in Motacillidae.

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“…, Chaine et al . ). One example of such social interaction is that between parents, for which mate choice, territory defence and parental investment may all be influenced by ornamentation of the male and female (Houston et al .…”

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confidence: 97%

“…, Senar , Chaine et al . ), advertise genetic quality (Hamilton & Zuk , Tschirren et al . , Johnston et al .…”

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Reproductive effort of both male and female Bar‐throated ApalisApalis thoracicais predicted by ornamentation of self and mate

Dijk

Robles

Groothuis³

et al. 2015

Ibis

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Melanin‐based plumage ornaments have been shown to play an important role in male–male competition, but also influence inter‐sexual communication. Consequently, ornaments may be associated with reproductive effort of both males and females. Females mated to males with larger melanin ornaments may acquire access to better territories or benefit from increased paternal care. Here we investigated whether the melanin‐based breast‐band of male and female Bar‐throated Apalis Apalis thoracica is a signal of information about its bearer and is associated with male and female reproductive effort. Breast‐band size was a highly variable morphometric trait in both sexes, but only in males was it associated with body mass. We then assessed whether male and female breast‐band size predicted maternal and paternal investment. Egg mass increased with male breast‐band size, but decreased with female breast‐band size. Whether females adjust maternal hormone allocation in response to their partner's ornamentation remains a contentious issue. We found that yolk testosterone and androstenedione concentrations were not predicted by male ornamentation or body mass. Finally, males with larger breast‐bands provided their mates with more food, allowing those females to spend more time incubating. Reproductive effort of both parents is therefore predicted by their own and their mate's ornamentation in Bar‐throated Apalis, and thus breast‐band size potentially acts as a signal of reproductive performance in both sexes. These results highlight the need for more comprehensive analyses of a relationship between melanin‐based ornaments and fitness, incorporating multiple behavioural variables associated with reproductive effort.

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Experimental confirmation that avian plumage traits function as multiple status signals in winter contests

Cited by 26 publications

References 38 publications

Across‐year social stability shapes network structure in wintering migrant sparrows

Across‐year social stability shapes network structure in wintering migrant sparrows

Factors influencing the evolution of moult in the non-breeding season: insights from the family Motacillidae

Reproductive effort of both male and female Bar‐throated ApalisApalis thoracicais predicted by ornamentation of self and mate

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