Robin’s egg blue: does egg color influence male parental care?

English, Philina A.; Montgomerie, Robert

doi:10.1007/s00265-010-1107-9

Cited by 30 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Only 33 of 599 nests measured between 2008 and 2012 were as large as our experimentally enlarged nests. Analogically, the function of blue‐green egg coloration in post‐mating female quality signalling (Moreno and Osorno ) was experimentally shown only in studies where artificial eggs on the edge of natural colour variation were used (Soler et al , English and Montgomerie ). Studies manipulating real eggs failed to find any relationship between the intensity of blue‐green egg colour and male parental effort (Moreno et al , Krist and Grim , Johnsen et al ) despite the extensive correlational and indirect evidence (Moreno et al , , López‐Rull et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest as an extended phenotype signal of female quality in the great reed warbler

Jelínek

Požgayová

Honza

et al. 2016

Journal of Avian Biology

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Extended phenotypes with signalling function are mostly restricted to animal taxa that use construction behaviour during courtship displays. However, they can be used also as post‐mating signals of mate quality, allowing individuals to obtain reliable information about their partners. Nest size may have such a signalling function and a lot of indirect evidence supports this view. However, direct evidence based on an experimental approach is still widely missing. Here we test the role of nest size in post‐mating signalling of mate quality in the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus, a passerine with female‐restricted nest‐building behaviour. Based on observational data, clutch size, nestling weight, brood size and fledglings’ propensity to return to their natal site positively correlated with nest size. Moreover, we experimentally enlarged great reed warbler nests to investigate whether this manipulation affects male investment in feeding. We found that males fed their nestlings significantly more intensively on enlarged nests than those on control nests. This suggests that nest size in this species serves as a signal of female quality or willingness to invest in reproduction and that it pays males to enhance their feeding effort according to this signal. Thus, we provide convincing evidence that animal communication takes place through the extended phenotypes and that post‐mating signalling of quality is not restricted only to males, but may function equally well in females.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest as an extended phenotype signal of female quality in the great reed warbler

Jelínek

Požgayová

Honza

et al. 2016

Journal of Avian Biology

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“…Blue eggshell colouration is widespread in birds but its adaptive significance is still elusive (Kilner, ; English & Montgomerie, ). Three major non‐exclusive hypotheses have been invoked to explain why some birds' eggs are blue: sexual signalling, mimicry and crypsis (in low light) (Moreno & Osorio, ; Soler et al ., ).…”

Section: The Functions Of Bluementioning

confidence: 99%

“…(), however showed in spotless starlings Sturnus unicolor that egg shell colour intensity and the yolk's carotenoid concentration were positively correlated suggesting that colour may be a useful indicator of female investment. However, the intensity of the blue colour alone may be enhanced by an achromatic component that is more easily detectable in low‐light nest environments (Avilés, Soler & Pérez‐Contreras, ; Avilés et al ., ) Further, in a test of the effect of eggshell colour on paternal provisioning, English & Montgomerie () found that male American robins Turdus migratorius provisioned young nestlings (3 days old) from vivid blue eggs more than those from pale eggs, but this difference did not hold for older (6 or 9 days old) nestlings. Moreover, in the great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus , Honza et al .…”

Section: The Functions Of Bluementioning

confidence: 99%

“…One suggestion is that blue items are naturally rare in forests (Borgia, Kaatz & Condit, 1987;Hunter & Dwyer, 1997;Wojcieszek et al, 2006;Wojcieszek, Nicholls & Goldizen, 2007b). Blue eggshell colouration is widespread in birds but its adaptive significance is still elusive (Kilner, 2006;English & Montgomerie, 2011). Three major non-exclusive hypotheses have been invoked to explain why some birds' eggs are blue: sexual signalling, mimicry and crypsis (in low light) (Moreno & Osorio, 2003;Soler et al, 2005).…”

Section: Blue As Indicator Of Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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On the perception, production and function of blue colouration in animals

Umbers

2012

Journal of Zoology

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Bright colouration in animals has long attracted the attention of physicists, chemists and biologists. As such, studies on the functions of colours are interdisciplinary, focusing on the mechanisms of colour production and maintenance, the physical and chemical properties of the colour-producing elements, and visual systems and behaviour of potential receivers. Blue colouration has received a large share of research attention and is fascinating for several reasons: blue has been attributed to a very broad range of functions, blue is achieved by a great variety of mechanisms (although their production and maintenance costs are currently unclear), and the blue part of the spectrum (450-490 nm) can be perceived by most taxa. This review explores the breadth of studies that propose a function for blue colouration. In so doing, it discusses the diversity of ways in which blue colours are produced both as pigments and structural colours, and that blue visual pigments are common across a broad range of taxa. This analysis of the current literature emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary hypothesis testing when attempting to elucidate the function of colours, the need for manipulative over correlative evidence for the function of colours, and, as colour research becomes evermore interdisciplinary, the need for well-defined consistent terminology.

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“…The sexual selection hypothesis of eggshell colouration (SSHEC) predicts that males could invest differentially in reproduction depending on eggshell colouration (Moreno and Osorno 2003); a prediction that has received mixed support (Soler et al 2008, English and Montgomerie 2011, Poláček et al 2016. Thus, by its effects on parental investment, eggshell colouration would also positively influence nestlings' development ( Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Egg colouration predicts brood size, telomere length and body condition of spotless starling fledglings

Soler

Ruiz‐Castellano

Figuerola

et al. 2018

Journal of Avian Biology

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Understanding the impressive interspecific variation in avian eggshell colouration has attracted the attention of evolutionary ecologists for more than a century. Several functional explanations predict positive covariation between eggshell pigmentation and phenotypic quality of nestlings. We test this prediction in spotless starlings Sturnus unicolor by using biometric measurements and telomere length of hatchlings and fledglings as proxies of phenotypic quality. Female spotless starlings lay immaculate blue‐green eggs, a sexually selected signal directed to males. Pigmentation predicts positive associations with concentration of antioxidants and testosterone in the yolk and with paternal provisioning effort during nestling growth. Eggshell pigmentation (blue‐green chroma) is not associated with telomere length of hatchlings, which suggests weak maternal effects on this trait. However, we find negative associations of eggshell colouration with both body condition and telomere length of fledglings. Moreover, we find positive associations between eggshell colouration and clutch size, which suggests that sibling competition is higher in nests with more coloured eggshells. Previous works demonstrated that level of sibling competition is positively related to telomere erosion and, thus, the detected negative associations between eggshell colouration, body condition and telomere length of fledglings would reflect higher level of competition in nests with more coloured eggshells. We therefore speculate with the possibility that females that lay larger clutches also lay more coloured eggshells that elicit increased paternal provisioning effort and, thus, raise larger broods at the expense of telomere erosion of their offspring.

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Robin’s egg blue: does egg color influence male parental care?

Cited by 30 publications

References 28 publications

Nest as an extended phenotype signal of female quality in the great reed warbler

Nest as an extended phenotype signal of female quality in the great reed warbler

On the perception, production and function of blue colouration in animals

Egg colouration predicts brood size, telomere length and body condition of spotless starling fledglings

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