The benefit of large broods in barnacle geese: a study using natural and experimental manipulations

Loonen, Maarten J. J. E.; Bruinzeel, Leo W.; Black, Jeffrey L.; Drent, R.H.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-2656.1999.00325.x

Cited by 81 publications

(82 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(64 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…It cannot be excluded that goslings might react to more subtle cues, such as differences in behaviour of goslings from dominant and subordinate pairs. In most natural goose populations which have been studied, dominance is correlated to brood size (Prevett & MacInnes, 1980;Zicus, 1981;Black & Owen, 1989a;Lepage et al, 1998;Loonen et al, 1999). In our experiment, goslings were not able to choose between differently sized families, as all parents had three original goslings.…”

Section: Are Adoptions Driven By the Gosling?mentioning

confidence: 82%

“…In geese and other precocial species however, where parental investment usually benefits all brood members simultaneously (unshared investment sensu Lazarus & Inglis, 1986), costs of caring for additional offspring are likely to be much lower. Most studies of brood size in geese suggest neutrality or benefits of large broods to parents and goslings (Lessels, 1986;Black & Owen, 1989b;Gregoire & Ankney, 1990;Petersen, 1992;Seddon & Nudds, 1994;Lepage et al, 1998;Loonen et al, 1999). Rather than representing an inter-generational conflict, adoption in geese might be a mutually beneficial strategy (Williams, 1994), or by-product mutualism (Connor, 1995;Clutton-Brock, 2002), which is driven by the gosling but, at least at young ages, also beneficial to the parents.…”

Section: Adoption As Inter-generational Conflict or Mutualism?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If adoptions are adaptive for the goslings but gaining additional brood members is costly to parents, they would represent an intergenerational conflict (Pierotti, 1988). If, however, parents gain benefits from an increased family size, then adoptions might be mutually beneficial (Williams, 1994;Loonen et al, 1999). Lazarus & Inglis (1986) have proposed that large broods are not costly to parents with respect to parental investment of which all offspring benefit simultaneously, such as vigilance or brooding behaviour ('unshared investment' sensu Lazarus & Inglis, 1986 1 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, very few studies have actually tried to identify costs of raising large families in geese (Kalmbach, in press). Evidence from observational studies generally shows that larger families are more dominant, which leads to better access to high quality feeding areas, and that gosling growth and condition is enhanced, while no negative effects on adult survival or future reproduction are found (Seddon & Nudds, 1994;Williams et al, 1994;Lepage et al, 1998;Loonen et al, 1999). Although non-breeders have been found to have a higher return rate than breeders (Raveling, 1981;Petersen, 1992;Prop et al, 2004), amongst emperor goose Chen canagicus females those with larger families had higher survival than those with small families (Petersen, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although non-breeders have been found to have a higher return rate than breeders (Raveling, 1981;Petersen, 1992;Prop et al, 2004), amongst emperor goose Chen canagicus females those with larger families had higher survival than those with small families (Petersen, 1992). Of the three studies to date which have carried out brood size manipulations in geese, two have found strong evidence for a causal relationship between family size and social dominance, as well as gosling growth (Lepage et al, 1998;Loonen et al, 1999). Also, both parents and juveniles gain benefits from large families and long family association on the wintering grounds (Black & Owen, 1989a, b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Adoption as a gosling strategy to obtain better parental care? Experimental evidence for gosling choice and age-dependency of adoption in greylag geese

Kalmbach¹,

Aa²,

Komdeur³

2005

Behav

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Adoptions of unrelated young by successful breeders are a form of alloparental care which has been observed in many species of geese. Depending on costs and benefits to the parents, adoptions might represent an inter-generational conflict or a mutually beneficial strategy. Although most studies of wild populations suggest benefits of large brood sizes, incidental observations mostly report aggressive behaviour of parents towards lone goslings. No studies have investigated mechanisms and behaviour during adoptions in order to test whether adoptions are driven by parents or goslings. To test whether goslings might use adoption as a strategy to obtain better parental care, we carried out an experiment where lone greylag goose (Anser anser) goslings could choose between a dominant and a subordinate foster family. In a second experiment we also tested whether adoption was age-dependent. Except for one case, all lone goslings (N = 16) chose the dominant family. Parents showed very little aggression towards lone goslings at three days after hatch, but aggression increased until 9 days and remained high thereafter. At the same time as aggression increased, the chance of successful adoption decreased. In the first five weeks of life, goslings which had been adopted were no further away from parents than original goslings during grazing. These results show that goslings might choose foster families according to dominance. The fact that with increasing gosling age parents are less willing to adopt could be due to improved individual recognition and reflect decreasing benefits of gaining an additional family member. More detailed studies on state-dependent costs and benefits of adoptions are required to determine whether adoptions in geese represent conflict or mutualism, and why this changes with gosling age.

show abstract

Section: Are Adoptions Driven By the Gosling?mentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Adoption As Inter-generational Conflict or Mutualism?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Adoption as a gosling strategy to obtain better parental care? Experimental evidence for gosling choice and age-dependency of adoption in greylag geese

Kalmbach¹,

Aa²,

Komdeur³

2005

Behav

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Determinants of growth rates and mass of Canada geese goslings

Conover

Frank

2018

J Wildl Manag

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fledgling mass is an important determinant of first‐year survival and recruitment into the breeding population for many Arctic‐nesting goose species. In turn, fledgling mass of these geese is influenced by hatch date and forage quality and quantity in the brood‐rearing area. Less is known about the determinants of growth rates and fledgling mass in temperate‐nesting geese. For 25 years, we examined near‐fledging mass, hatch dates, and growth rates of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) nesting in Connecticut, USA by tracking individually marked geese that wore neck collars or large plastic leg bands. Fledgling mass was influenced by sex (males were heavier), gosling age when weighed, and family type (fledglings raised in 2‐parent families were heavier than those raised in gang broods). Paternal nesting experience (years of prior nesting) influenced fledgling mass, probably because goslings with experienced fathers hatched earlier than goslings with inexperienced fathers. Among fledglings raised in gang broods, fledgling mass was positively correlated with the number of parents attending the brood and negatively correlated with the number of goslings within the brood. Gosling growth rates (daily gain in mass) were higher for males than females; goslings in 2‐parent families grew 2 g/day faster than those in gang broods. Late‐hatched goslings grew faster than goslings that hatched earlier. In gang broods, growth rates were positively correlated with the ratio of parents to goslings. Assessing goose sex ratios, Julian hatching dates, family types, and brood sizes will allow waterfowl managers in temperate regions to refine their goose population models. This, in turn, will allow waterfowl managers to determine more accurately what proportion of the populations can be safely harvested or how best to manage nuisance goose populations. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

show abstract

Subordinates explore but dominants profit: resource competition in high Arctic barnacle goose flocks

et al. 2001

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The benefit of large broods in barnacle geese: a study using natural and experimental manipulations

Cited by 81 publications

References 44 publications

Adoption as a gosling strategy to obtain better parental care? Experimental evidence for gosling choice and age-dependency of adoption in greylag geese

Adoption as a gosling strategy to obtain better parental care? Experimental evidence for gosling choice and age-dependency of adoption in greylag geese

Determinants of growth rates and mass of Canada geese goslings

Subordinates explore but dominants profit: resource competition in high Arctic barnacle goose flocks

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About