Nestling barn owls beg more intensely in the presence of their mother than in the presence of their father

Roulin, Alexandre; Bersier, Louis‐Félix

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.01.027

Cited by 42 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…There is growing evidence that this occurs. For example, nestlings learn to modify their begging intensity in relation to variation in experimental hand-rearing regimes (Kedar et al 2000;Rodriguez-Girones et al 2002), while in several species nestlings discriminate between parents and beg more intensely to the more generous sex (Stamps et al 1985(Stamps et al , 1989Kolliker et al 1998;Roulin & Bersier 2007). It is important to note that the way in which offspring adjust to variation in carer responsiveness is liable to be affected by the cost of begging.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that numerous external factors influence the way that changes in state are expressed by changes in begging intensity (Kilner 1995;Kedar et al 2000). In particular, differences between carers in the amount of care they are willing to provide may select offspring to beg in different ways to different carers (Stamps et al 1989;Krebs & Magrath 2000;Kolliker & Richner 2004;Roulin & Bersier 2007). This will be especially important where begging is costly, since selection should act on offspring to maximize the return on their investment in begging.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Strategic adjustment of begging effort by banded mongoose pups

Bell

2008

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Variation in the intensity of conspicuous displays raises three basic questions: (i) the relationship between internal state and display intensity, (ii) the relationship between display intensity and receiver response, and (iii) the effect of variation in receiver responsiveness on signaller behaviour. Here, I investigate the interaction between pups and helpers in the communally breeding banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), where each pup forms an exclusive relationship with a single adult helper (termed its 'escort'). By experimentally manipulating pup need, I demonstrate that changes in begging rate correspond to changes in short-term need. The data then suggest that escorts in good condition may be more responsive to increased begging and that pups associating with them increase their begging more than do pups paired with escorts in poor condition. Escorts also appear more responsive to increased begging by female pups, and female pups increase their begging more than do male pups. These results suggest that banded mongoose pups may strategically adjust their investment in begging in relation to variation in the expected pay-off. I argue that such adjustment is likely to be a general phenomenon: wherever there is variation in responsiveness to signals, signallers will be selected to identify different categories of receiver and adjust their signals in order to maximize the pay-offs. Therefore, differences in signal intensity may be as much a product of context as an indication of variation in individual phenotypic or genotypic state.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategic adjustment of begging effort by banded mongoose pups

Bell

2008

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…The begging rate of meerkat pups varies depending on the identity of the adult they are begging next to, and this is consistent over multiple encounters with the same adult. Pups do not appear to discriminate between adults based on sex, dominance or size, unlike nestling birds (Roulin and Bersier 2007;Dickens et al 2007). Instead, the best predictor of the begging rate of a pup and the time that it spends next to an adult is the relative contribution to pup feeding of the adult who they are begging next to.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Broods of owlets Tyto alba beg at higher rates to the arrival of females than they do to males (Roulin and Bersier 2007), but, as in most studies of begging on nestling birds, an individual response by offspring is hard to measure, with young restricted to the nest and as a single nestling's begging being difficult to isolate. Individual responses were seen in blue tit Parus caeruleus nestlings, with hungry individuals moving within their nest towards male parents, although their level of begging intensity did not differ with adult sex (Dickens et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do meerkat (Suricata suricatta) pups exhibit strategic begging behaviour and so exploit adults that feed at relatively high rates?

Madden

Kunc

English

et al. 2009

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Do meerkat (Suricata suricatta) pups exhibit strategic begging behaviour and so exploit adults that feed at relatively high rates?Madden, J R; Kunc, H J P; English, S; Manser, M B; Clutton-Brock, T H Madden, J R; Kunc, H J P; English, S; Manser, M B; Clutton-Brock, T H (2009 Do meerkat (Suricata suricatta) pups exhibit strategic begging behaviour and so exploit adults that feed at relatively high rates? Abstract Adults vary in their generosity in provisioning the young and their sensitivity to the need of the young. Do the young modulate their behaviour so as to specifically target more high-provisioning adults? This is especially likely in situations with mobile, nutritionally dependent young. We studied cooperatively breeding meerkats Suricata suricatta, in which pups beg to parents and other adults in the group. We found that the young begged differently when next to different adults and that they are consistent in how they beg when next to each adult. Pups next to adults that provision at high rates beg at higher rates and spend longer with them, and these adults are generally more sensitive to increases in begging rate. Such behaviour has adaptive benefits to offspring in terms of increased likelihood of being fed. However, offspring do not appear to be actively seeking out high-provisioning adults or increasing their begging behaviour when they encounter one. Pups did not appear to actively discriminate between adults in their association or begging behaviour. We suggest instead that the relationship between an adult's relative contribution to pup feeding and the behaviour of its accompanying pup is driven by adult behaviour, with responsive adults that feed pups at a relatively higher rate preferentially associating with fast-begging hungry pups. Abstract Adults vary in their generosity in provisioning the young and their sensitivity to the need of the young. Do the young modulate their behaviour so as to specifically target more high-provisioning adults? This is especially likely in situations with mobile, nutritionally dependent young. We studied cooperatively breeding meerkats Suricata suricatta, in which pups beg to parents and other adults in the group. We found that the young begged differently when next to different adults and that they are consistent in how they beg when next to each adult. Pups next to adults that provision at high rates beg at higher rates and spend longer with them, and these adults are generally more sensitive to increases in begging rate. Such behaviour has adaptive benefits to offspring in terms of increased likelihood of being fed. However, offspring do not appear to be actively seeking out high-provisioning adults or increasing their begging behaviour when they encounter one. Pups did not appear to actively discriminate between adults in their association or begging behaviour. We suggest instead that the relationship between an adult's relative contribution to pup feeding and the behaviour of its accompanying pup is driven by adult behaviour, with responsive adults that fe...

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“…These data, taken from Zuur et al (2009) and ultimately from Roulin and Bersier (2007), quantify the number of negotiations among owlets (owl chicks) in different nests prior to the arrival of a provisioning parent as a function of food treatment (deprived or satiated), the sex of the parent, and arrival time.…”

Section: Owls Datamentioning

confidence: 99%