Three Decades of Crimes and Misdemeanours in the Nest Box Life of European Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca

Potti, Jaime; Camacho, Carlos; Cañal, David; Martínez‐Padilla, Jesús

doi:10.13157/arla.68.2.2021.ra1

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Our results are aligned with this idea, although the effect of warming in the study population is found in May and pointed to minimum temperatures instead. Perhaps, the difference in the warming period between the two studies is related to the later breeding phenology of migratory pied flycatchers compared with residents blue tits, at least in our study area (Potti, 2009; Potti et al., 2021). Overall, these results highlight the role that extreme values, rather than averages, may have in shaping fitness landscapes, reinforcing the idea that extreme climatic events should be considered when investigating selection on phenotypic traits (Arnold et al., 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Fluctuating selection driven by global and local climatic conditions leads to stasis in breeding time in a migratory bird

Vaillant

Potti

Camacho

et al. 2021

J of Evolutionary Biology

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The origin of natural selection is linked to environmental heterogeneity, which influences variation in relative fitness among phenotypes. However, individuals in wild populations are exposed to a plethora of biotic and abiotic environmental factors. Surprisingly, the relative influence of multiple environmental conditions on the relative fitness of phenotypes has rarely been tested in wild populations. Identifying the main selection agent(s) is crucial when the target phenotype is tightly linked to reproduction and when temporal variation in selection is expected to affect evolutionary responses. By using individual‐based data from a 29‐year study of a short‐lived migratory songbird, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), we studied the relative influence of 28 temperature‐ and precipitation‐based factors at local and global scales on selection on breeding time (egg laying) at the phenotypic level. Selection, estimated using the number of recruits as a proxy for fitness, penalized late breeders. Minimum temperatures in April and May were the environmental drivers that best explained selection on laying date. In particular, there was negative directional selection on laying date mediated by minimum temperature in April, being strongest in cold years. In addition, nonlinear selection on laying date was influenced by minimum temperatures in May, with selection on laying date changing from null to negative as the breeding season progressed. The intensity of selection on late breeders increased when minimum temperatures in May were highest. Our results illustrate the complex influence of environmental factors on selection on laying date in wild bird populations. Despite minimum temperature in April being the only variable that changed over time, its increase did not induce a shift in laying date in the population. In this songbird population, stabilizing selection has led to a three‐decade stasis in breeding time. We suggest that variation in the effects of multiple climatic variables on selection may constrain phenotypic change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Fluctuating selection driven by global and local climatic conditions leads to stasis in breeding time in a migratory bird

Vaillant

Potti

Camacho

et al. 2021

J of Evolutionary Biology

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“…Aggressive interactions among competing species can be costly and dangerous ( e.g ., Livezey & Humphrey, 1985 ; Nuechterlein & Storer, 1985 ; Potti et al, 2021 ), thus favoring the use of signals that allow individuals to avoid the risk of physical fights with other species ( Caro & Allen, 2017 ). Here, we used publicly available videos and photographs of aggressive encounters between different species of birds to examine the aggressive signals used by different species and taxonomic groups, describing the postures used, and body regions and colors commonly highlighted during these interactions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 ). Like intraspecific disputes, these interactions can be costly ( e.g ., Livezey & Humphrey, 1985 ; Nuechterlein & Storer, 1985 ; Potti et al, 2021 ), suggesting that selection should favor the use of signals among heterospecifics during aggressive contests, but the signals used among competing species remain less explored ( Caro & Allen, 2017 ). Some studies, however, suggest that vocalizations ( e.g ., Gorton, 1977 ; Catchpole, 1978 ; Rice, 1978 ; Reed, 1982 ; Martin et al, 1996 ; Martin & Martin, 2001 ; Jankowski, Robinson & Levey, 2010 ; Sosa-López, Mennill & Renton, 2017 ) and color ( e.g ., Flack, 1976 ; König, 1983 ; Snow & Snow, 1984 ) may signal aggression or dominance in competitive contests among species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aggressive signaling among competing species of birds

Kenyon¹,

Martin²

2022

PeerJ

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Aggressive interactions help individuals to gain access to and defend resources, but they can be costly, leading to increased predation risk, injury, or death. Signals involving sounds and color can allow birds to avoid the costs of intraspecific aggressive encounters, but we know less about agonistic signaling between species, where fights can be frequent and just as costly. Here, we review photographic and video evidence of aggressive interactions among species of birds (N = 337 interactions documenting the aggressive signals of 164 different bird species from 120 genera, 50 families, and 24 orders) to document how individuals signal in aggressive encounters among species, and explore whether these visual signals are similar to those used in aggressive encounters with conspecifics. Despite the diversity of birds examined, most aggressively signaling birds displayed weapons (bills, talons, wings) used in fighting and placed these weapons closest to their heterospecific opponent when signaling. Most species oriented their bodies and heads forward with their bills pointing towards their heterospecific opponent, often highlighting their face, throat, mouth, and bill. Many birds also opened their wings and/or tails, increasing their apparent size in displays, consistent with the importance of body size in determining behavioral dominance among species. Aggressive postures were often similar across species and taxonomic families. Exceptions included Accipitridae and Falconidae, which often highlighted their talons in the air, Columbidae, which often highlighted their underwings from the side, and Trochilidae, which often hovered upright in the air and pointed their fanned tail downward. Most species highlighted bright carotenoid-based colors in their signals, but highlighted colors varied across species and often involved multiple colors in combination (e.g., black, white, and carotenoid-based colors). Finally, birds tended to use the same visual signals in aggressive encounters with heterospecifics that they use in aggressive encounters with conspecifics, suggesting that selection from aggressive interactions may act on the same signaling traits regardless of competitor identity.

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“…During the breeding season, from around the third week of April (when first males arrive from migration) to the first fortnight of July, all nest boxes were checked every 3 days to determine their occupation by pied flycatchers or other species (see Potti et al, 2021), and daily after occupation to ascertain laying date, clutch size (typically 5–6 eggs), hatching date and number of fledglings. Adults were captured with a nest‐box trap (Friedman et al., 2008) while incubating (females) or feeding nestlings (males and females) on day 8 posthatching.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We estimated breeding density as the annual proportion of nest boxes occupied by pied flycatchers in relation to the total number of nest boxes. In addition, to examine the effects of interspecific competition on selection, we conducted a complementary analysis where we considered all species using our nest boxes (pied flycatchers; tits, Paridae ; treecreepers, Certhia brachydactyla ; and nuthatches, Sitta europaea ) when estimating breeding density (Potti et al, 2021). The results of this complementary analysis remained qualitatively similar to those considering pied flycatcher density alone (see Table S1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypic selection on an ornamental trait is not modulated by breeding density in a pied flycatcher population

Morales-Mata

Potti

Camacho

et al. 2022

J of Evolutionary Biology

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Most studies of phenotypic selection in the wild have focussed on morphological and life‐history traits and looked at abiotic (climatic) variation as the main driver of selection. Consequently, our knowledge of the effects of biotic environmental variation on phenotypic selection on sexual traits is scarce. Population density can be considered a proxy for the intensity of intrasexual and intersexual competition and could therefore be a key factor influencing the covariation between individual fitness and the expression of sexual traits. Here, we used an individual‐based data set from a population of pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) monitored over 24 years to analyze the effect of breeding density on phenotypic selection on dorsal plumage colouration, a heritable and sexually selected ornament in males of this species. Using the number of recruits as a fitness proxy, our results showed overall stabilizing selection on male dorsal colouration, with intermediate phenotypes being favoured over extremely dark and dull individuals. However, our results did not support the hypothesis that breeding density mediates phenotypic selection on this sexual trait. We discuss the possible role of other biotic factors influencing selection on ornamental plumage.

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Three Decades of Crimes and Misdemeanours in the Nest Box Life of European Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca

Cited by 14 publications

References 57 publications

Fluctuating selection driven by global and local climatic conditions leads to stasis in breeding time in a migratory bird

Fluctuating selection driven by global and local climatic conditions leads to stasis in breeding time in a migratory bird

Aggressive signaling among competing species of birds

Phenotypic selection on an ornamental trait is not modulated by breeding density in a pied flycatcher population

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