Influence of behavioural tactics on recruitment and reproductive trajectory in the kittiwake

Abstract

Many studies have provided evidence that, in birds, inexperienced breeders have a lower probability of breeding successfully. This is often explained by lack of skills and knowledge, and sometimes late laying dates in the first breeding attempt. There is growing evidence that in many species with deferred reproduction, some prebreeders attend breeding places, acquire territories and form pairs. Several behavioural tactics assumed to be associated with territory acquisition have been described in different species. These tactics may influence the probability of recruiting in the breeding segment of the population, age of first breeding, and reproductive success in the first breeding attempt. Here we addressed the influence of behaviour ('squatting') during the prebreeding period on demographic parameters (survival and recruitment probability) in a long-lived colonial seabird species: the kittiwake. We also investigated the influence of behaviour on reproductive trajectory. Squatters have a higher survival and recruitment probability, and a higher probability of breeding successfully in the first breeding attempt in all age-classes where this category is represented. The influence of behaviour is mainly expressed in the first reproduction. However, there is a relationship between breeding success in the first occasion and subsequent occasions. The influence of breeding success in the first breeding attempt on the rest of the trajectory may indirectly reflect the influence of behaviour on breeding success in the first occasion. The shape of the reproductive trajectory is influenced by behaviour and age of first breeding. There is substantial individual variation from the mean reproductive trajectory, which is accounted for by heterogeneity in performance among individuals in the first attempt, but there is no evidence of individual heterogeneity in the rate of change over time in performance in subsequent breeding occasions

Habitat selection by dispersing yellow-headed blackbirds: evidence of prospecting and the use of public information

“…Consistent with this hypothesis, prospecting individuals are often non-breeders (Cadiou et al 1994;Cam et al 2002;Danchin and Cam 2002) and are therefore able to prospect throughout the breeding season. However, in this study all prospecting individuals attempted to breed and many successfully fledged young.…”

Renesting of Common Terns Sterna hirundo in the life history perspective

“…Positive associations between an individual's annual reproductive performance or its LRS with survival or lifespan have been found in various studies accumulating in recent years (e.g. Black-legged Kittiwake, Coulson and Porter 1985;Cam et al 2002 Barbraud and Weimerskirch 2005;Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus, Sanz-Aguilar et al 2008). Costs, however, reflected by negative correlations between survival and reproduction, are rarely reported and are restricted to young, inexperienced individuals during their early breeding career (e.g., Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, Reid et al 2003; Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, Krüger 2005; Great Tit, Bouwhuis et al 2009).…”

Early development, recruitment and life history trajectory in long-lived birds

“…For example, familiarity with sites and potential neighbors may facilitate accession to breeding status and successful reproduction by reducing aggression (Cadiou et al 1994;Cadiou 1999;Dittmann and Becker 2003;Dittmann et al 2005Dittmann et al , 2007Halley et al 1995). In the Kittiwake, Cam et al (2002b) addressed agespecific survival, recruitment probability, and reproductive success over life as a function of behavior during the prebreeding period (activities assumed to play a part in territory acquisition and integration into the local social web), and found evidence of a relationship between both covariates and fitness components up to recruitment. There is indication that pre-breeders attending breeding locations, involved in nest building activities or coordination activities with a mate have a higher probability of recruiting than others, and of breeding successfully in the first breeding attempt (Cam et al 2002b).…”

“…In the Kittiwake, Cam et al (2002b) addressed agespecific survival, recruitment probability, and reproductive success over life as a function of behavior during the prebreeding period (activities assumed to play a part in territory acquisition and integration into the local social web), and found evidence of a relationship between both covariates and fitness components up to recruitment. There is indication that pre-breeders attending breeding locations, involved in nest building activities or coordination activities with a mate have a higher probability of recruiting than others, and of breeding successfully in the first breeding attempt (Cam et al 2002b). There may not be any detectable direct relationship between pre-breeding behavior and breeding success other than in the first attempt, but there is one between age of recruitment and subsequence breeding success (i.e., some indirect consequences of behavior during the pre-breeding period; Aubry et al 2009a, b;Cam et al 2002b;Limmer and Becker 2010).…”