Growth of Late-Hatched, Competitively Disadvantaged Nestling House Wrens Relative to Their Older, Larger Nestmates

Lago, Kathleen; Johnson, L. Scott; Albrecht, Daniel J.

doi:10.1648/0273-8570-71.4.676

Cited by 25 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In Blue Tits, the period of weight increase was longer for nestlings growing up in enlarged broods, while there was no difference to reduced broods in the period of tarsus growth (Kunz and Ekman 2000), and similar results were obtained in Carrion Crows (Corvus corone corone) when nestling growth rates were depressed by limiting food supplies (Richner et al 1989). Lago et al (2000) showed that in asynchronously hatching broods of House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon), the rates of mass gain and tarsus growth were reduced in late-hatched, competitively disadvantaged nestlings (as compared to their first-hatched, larger nestmates), while rates of feather growth were almost normal, allowing nest-leaving simultaneously with their siblings. Also in European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), slowly growing nestlings gave priority to wing growth (Smith and Wettermark 1995).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Variation in the magnitude of sexual size dimorphism in nestling Coal Tits (Periparus ater)

et al. 2008

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The magnitude of sexual size dimorphism can be affected by sex differences in environmental sensitivity early in ontogeny that result in differential growth rates of male and female nestlings. Here, the larger sex might either be more sensitive because of higher food demands or less sensitive due to greater competitive ability. When environmental conditions deteriorate during the breeding season, this ''environmental stress'' hypothesis predicts differential seasonal declines in the performance of male and female offspring. Based on a sample of molecularly sexed Coal Tit (Periparus ater) nestlings from 2 years, we investigated sexual size dimorphism in body mass, condition (i.e. size-corrected mass), tarsus and wing length and whether its magnitude changed from early to late broods. Male offspring were heavier, larger (in terms of tarsus and wing length) and had higher size-corrected mass than their female nest mates (the same was evident in adult breeders). In 2002 (the year with the longer effective breeding season), body mass and condition declined with progressing hatching date and this effect was significantly more pronounced in male than in female nestlings. There was also a seasonal decline in male wing length, while female wing length remained relatively constant, which resulted in males having shorter wings than females in late broods. Tarsus length was unaffected by time of breeding, except that the difference between males and females was relatively smaller in late (i.e. second) broods in 2002. While these results are in accordance with the idea of an increased environmental sensitivity of the larger males, confounding effects of sex-differential hatching order cannot be ruled out.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Variation in the magnitude of sexual size dimorphism in nestling Coal Tits (Periparus ater)

et al. 2008

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“…By the time the entire clutch has hatched, it is not uncommon in some species for the first-hatched chick to be twice as heavy as the last-hatched chick (Zach 1982;Krebs 1999). The ensuing mass hierarchies have been demonstrated to disadvantage late-hatched nestlings and affect their prefledging performance (Lago et al 2000). This has important fitness implications, since a nestling's mass just prior to leaving the nest is a strong predictor of postfledging survival in several species (Magrath 1991;Monros et al 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of intraclutch egg-mass variation and hatching asynchrony on relative offspring performance within broods of an altricial bird

2006

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Rates of growth and size of nestlings at fledging have important consequences for future survival and reproductive success in many passerine birds. Within broods of altricial species, these characteristics are often influenced by size hierarchies established early in the nesting period due to hatching asynchrony and within-clutch variation in egg mass, but the concurrent effect of these factors is poorly understood. We investigated the relative influence of these variables on nestling performance within broods of tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808). Nestlings that hatched earlier within nests were heavier and larger than their later-hatched siblings at 4 days of age. Similarly, earlier-hatched nestlings grew their ninth primary flight feathers faster and had longer ninth primaries just prior to fledging than did later-hatched siblings. Differences in egg mass of siblings also contributed to mass and size hierarchies at 4 days of age, but did not affect any other difference in sibling performance. We conclude that within-clutch variation in performance of offspring is determined primarily by size hierarchies resulting from asynchronous hatching. Intraclutch egg-mass variation appears to have little effect on performance of siblings and may be best explained by proximate constraints on females.Résumé : Les taux de croissance et la taille des petits au nid au moment de l'envol ont des conséquences importantes sur la survie future et le succès reproductif chez de nombreux passereaux. Dans les portées des espèces nidicoles, ces caractér-istiques sont souvent influencées par les hiérarchies de tailles établies tôt durant la période au nid à cause de l'asymétrie de l'éclosion et de la variation de la masse des oeufs dans une même portée; cependant, les effets concourants de ces facteurs restent mal connus. Nous avons étudié les influences relatives de ces variables sur le succès au nid chez des portées d'hirondelles bicolores, Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808). Les petits qui éclosent plus tôt au nid sont à l'âge de 4 jours plus lourds et plus grands que les oisillons de même fratrie éclos plus tard. De même, les petits éclos plus précocement dé-veloppent leurs neuvièmes rémiges primaires plus rapidement et possèdent des neuvièmes rémiges primaires plus longues juste avant le moment de l'envol que les autres oiseaux de la fratrie qui ont éclos plus tard. Les différences de masses des oeufs dans une même portée contribuent aussi aux hiérarchies de masses et de tailles à l'âge de 4 jours, mais n'affectent pas les autres performances de la portée. Nous concluons que la variation de la performance des petits au sein de la portée est déterminée principalement par les hiérarchies de tailles résultant de l'asynchronisme de l'éclosion. La variation de la masse des oeufs dans la portée semble avoir peu d'effets sur la performance des petits d'une même portée et peut s'expliquer le mieux par des contraintes proximales chez les femelles.[Traduit par la Rédaction]

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“…Accordingly, it has been suggested that the contribution of asynchronously hatched chicks per se to fitness of their parents is marginal under poor food conditions, since they will be sacrificed in favour of the larger nestmates (reviewed in Amundsen and Slagsvold 1998). Indeed, several studies of different passerine species have found that last-hatched eggs often produce undersized individuals that have low chances of survival (e.g., Nilsson and Svensson, 1996;Lago and Johnson, 2000). This can thus be regarded as a cost of the asynchronous hatching strategy.…”

Section: Hidden Benefits Of Hatching Asynchrony?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Initially different-sized (different-aged) individuals with similar genotypes have different competitive abilities that leads to an unequal distribution of food among siblings, where the lower a sibling's position in the hierarchy, the smaller its share of parental investment (Nilsson and Ga˚rdmark, 2001). A later-hatched nestling is initially smaller than its earlier-hatched siblings, it is disadvantaged in food competition, and, as a consequence, its growth pattern is strongly influenced by the growth of its larger siblings (Lago and Johnson, 2000;Nilsson and Ga˚rdmark, 2001). Hence, there should be stronger selection for growth rate on last-hatched nestlings compared with earlier-hatched, average-sized nestlings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such within-brood variation is expected to be higher for bird species that can behaviourally adjust the competition between the siblings, either hatching their young synchronously or asynchronously. In this respect, those hatching their young asynchronously, over a period of one or a few days (Skagen, 1987;Amundsen and Slagsvold, 1998;Lago and Johnson, 2000), provide an excellent basis for investigating the pattern of growth in siblings of similar genotypes but exposed to different growth conditions. On the other hand, there is a possibility that growth trajectories of asynchronously hatched chicks do not reflect adaptive responses to stressful growth conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sibling Growth Patterns in Great tits: Does Increased Selection on Last-hatched Chicks Favour an Asynchronous Hatching Strategy?

Tilgar

Mänd

2006

Evol Ecol

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In birds, competitive abilities of siblings in relation to their sex and the magnitude of hatching delay are still poorly understood. We compared the sex-specific growth of the last-hatched, competitively disadvantaged chicks with that of synchronously hatched chicks in two successive years. Sons exhibited higher growth rates than daughters in a year with delayed onset of breeding, and this sex-related difference was more pronounced among the asynchronously hatched chicks. Females apparently do not selectively allocate more resources to the last-laid eggs because neonatal body mass and the growth rate of asynchronously hatched chicks did not differ between years, despite the fact that in one of the years, asynchronous chicks hatched from replaced eggs taken randomly from other nests and not from eggs laid last by the incubating female. Among chicks that survived, moderately asynchronous siblings grew at a lower rate than synchronous ones, whereas no difference in mass gain was revealed between synchronous and strongly asynchronous siblings irrespective of their contrasting competitive abilities. We suggest that selection of the fittest asynchronous chicks may improve the overall quality of asynchronous broods, thus favouring the maintenance of asynchronous hatching strategies in variable environments.

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Growth of Late-Hatched, Competitively Disadvantaged Nestling House Wrens Relative to Their Older, Larger Nestmates

Cited by 25 publications

References 16 publications

Variation in the magnitude of sexual size dimorphism in nestling Coal Tits (Periparus ater)

Variation in the magnitude of sexual size dimorphism in nestling Coal Tits (Periparus ater)

Influence of intraclutch egg-mass variation and hatching asynchrony on relative offspring performance within broods of an altricial bird

Sibling Growth Patterns in Great tits: Does Increased Selection on Last-hatched Chicks Favour an Asynchronous Hatching Strategy?

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