Structurally based plumage coloration is an honest signal of quality in male blue grosbeaks

Keyser, Amber J.

doi:10.1093/beheco/11.2.202

Cited by 226 publications

(141 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…In addition to the blue tit study of Alonso-Alvarez et al (2004), two other recent studies in different species have suggested that structurally based coloration could be important as a status signal in male-male competition during the breeding season. found a negative correlation between date of nestbox occupation and UV/blue coloration in male Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis), and Keyser and Hill (2000) found a positive correlation between territory quality and blue coloration of the owners in male blue grosbeaks (Passerina caerulea).…”

Section: Uv Coloration Vs Other Determinants Of Dominancementioning

confidence: 88%

Absence of status signalling by structurally based ultraviolet plumage in wintering blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Korsten

Vedder

Szentirmai

et al. 2007

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Structurally based ultraviolet (UV)-reflective plumage parts can be important cues in mate choice. However, it remains largely unknown if UV plumage variation can also function as a signal of social status during competitive interactions. In blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), the UV-reflective crown plumage functions as a female mate choice cue that probably indicates male quality, as males with higher UV reflectance have been shown to have better chances of over-winter survival. Possibly, the UV crown plumage acts as a status signal in the competition over scarce food sources during winter. To test this idea, we related dominance of individuals at an artificial food source during adverse winter conditions to spectrophotometric measurements of their crown plumage. However, while controlling for the confounding effects of sex, age, and distance from territory, we found no significant effect of crown UV reflectance on dominance. Consistent with this result, we also found no relation between crown UV reflectance and over-winter survival. We conclude that the structurally based UV reflectance of the blue tit crown feathers plays little role in competition between individuals during winter despite its importance as a cue in mate choice.

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Section: Uv Coloration Vs Other Determinants Of Dominancementioning

confidence: 88%

Absence of status signalling by structurally based ultraviolet plumage in wintering blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Korsten

Vedder

Szentirmai

et al. 2007

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…This has important implications for our understanding of sexual selection, given that structural colours (e.g. UV) may function as honest indicators of individual quality (Andersson 1999;Sheldon et al 1999;Keyser & Hill 2000).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ubiquity of avian ultraviolet plumage reflectance

Eaton

Lanyon

2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

131

117

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Although several bird species have been shown to reflect ultraviolet (UV) light from their plumages, the incidence of UV reflectance, and therefore the potential for UV or UV-enhanced signals, across the avian tree of life is not known. In this study, we collected reflectance data from the plumages of 312 bird species representing 142 families. Our results demonstrate that all avian families possess plumages that reflect significant amounts of UV light. The ubiquity of UV reflectance indicates that all studies of avian behaviour, ecology and evolution involving plumage coloration would benefit from consideration of plumage reflectance in the UV portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Additionally, we demonstrate the existence of cryptic UV plumage patches and cryptic dimorphism among birds.

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“…At the same time, it decreases conspicuousness to many avian predators of passerines because most raptors are less sensitive to light in this spectral range (Ö deen & Håstad 2003). Moreover, the UV/blue structural plumage colours often serve as quality-indicating signals in mate choice providing reliable information about, for example, territory quality (Keyser & Hill 2000), reproductive effort (Siefferman & Hill 2003), parasite load (Doucet & Montgomerie 2003) or male competitive ability (Siefferman & Hill 2005). In particular, UV coloration is an important sexually selected trait in the blue tit, the avian predator that we studied.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chromaticity in the UV/blue range facilitates the search for achromatically background-matching prey in birds

Stobbe

Dimitrova

Merilaita

et al. 2008

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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A large variety of predatory species rely on their visual abilities to locate their prey. However, the search for prey may be hampered by prey camouflage. The most prominent example of concealing coloration is background-matching prey coloration characterized by a strong visual resemblance of prey to the background. Even though this principle of camouflage was recognized to efficiently work in predator avoidance a long time ago, the underlying mechanisms are not very well known. In this study, we assessed whether blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) use chromatic cues in the search for prey. We used two prey types that were achromatically identical but differed in chromatic properties in the UV/blue range and presented them on two achromatically identical backgrounds. The backgrounds had either the same chromatic properties as the prey items (matching combination) or differed in their chromatic properties (mismatching combination). Our results show that birds use chromatic cues in the search for mismatching prey, whereupon chromatic contrast leads to a 'pop-out' of the prey item from the background. When prey was presented on a matching background, search times were significantly higher. Interestingly, search for more chromatic prey on the matching background was easier than search for less chromatic prey on the matching background. Our results indicate that birds use both achromatic and chromatic cues when searching for prey, and that the combination of both cues might be helpful in the search task.

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Structurally based plumage coloration is an honest signal of quality in male blue grosbeaks

Cited by 226 publications

References 55 publications

Absence of status signalling by structurally based ultraviolet plumage in wintering blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)

Absence of status signalling by structurally based ultraviolet plumage in wintering blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)

The ubiquity of avian ultraviolet plumage reflectance

Chromaticity in the UV/blue range facilitates the search for achromatically background-matching prey in birds

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