Two blue tit Parus caeruleus populations from Corsica differ in social dominance

Abstract

Although the causes and consequences of social dominance have been examined extensively, avian studies have rarely focused on between‐population differences in social dominance. On the island of Corsica, two resident blue tit Parus caeruleus populations 25 km apart differ significantly in body size measures, timing and effort of reproduction, and song structure, and some of these population differences have a genetic basis. Because earlier avian studies have shown that social dominance is influenced by body size or mass, we predicted that individuals from these two blue tit populations would also differ in their ability to dominate other individuals. Consistent with this prediction, we found that male blue tits of these two populations differ in social dominance, and that heavier or larger individuals dominate lighter or smaller ones in aviary experiments. We propose that social dominance may serve to maintain phenotypic population differentiation at a micro‐geographic scale by acting as a barrier to dispersal.

Habitat quality as a predictor of spatial variation in blue tit reproductive performance: a multi-plot analysis in a heterogeneous landscape

“…However, male parents were significantly heavier and in better physical condition in the deciduous patches, which suggests that they may be dominant over birds settling in evergreen patches (cf. Braillet et al 2002). In addition, parents that are in better physical condition are most probably more efficient in parental care.…”

“…Ulfstrand et al 1981;Lemel 1989;Sutherland 1996; but see Lambrechts and Dhondt 1988). In blue tits, body size or age could reflect measures of individual quality (Kempenaers et al 1992;Doutrelant et al 2000) or social dominance (Braillet et al 2002), perhaps influencing parents' capacities to feed chicks. In our system, age structure and tarsus length of parents did not differ significantly between the deciduous and evergreen oak patches.…”

“…In "despotic" species with a territorial system and dominance hierarchies, like blue tits (e.g. Braillet et al 2002), the most dominant (or best) individuals may occupy the best habitats for breeding (e.g. Ulfstrand et al 1981;Lemel 1989;Sutherland 1996; but see Lambrechts and Dhondt 1988).…”

Competitive abilities of oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) occupying territories of different quality

“…Evidence for the absence or a negative relation between body size and dominance comes from song sparrows Melospiza melodia (Arcese and Smith 1985), house finch Carpodacus mexicanus (Belthoff et al 1994), black-capped chickadees Poecile atricapilla (Ramsay and Ratcliffe 2003), magpies Pica pica (Eden 1987;Komers and Komers 1992), house sparrows Passer domesticus (Solberg and Ringsby 1997), brown-headed cowbirds Molothrus ater (Teather and Weatherhead 1995) and dippers Cinclus cinclus (Bryant and Newton 1996). However, a positive relation between size and dominance was found in harris' sparrow Zonotrichia querula (Watt 1986), blue tit Parus caerulescens (Braillet et al 2002), willow tit Parus montanus (Hogstad 1987;Koivula et al 1993; but see Lahti et al 1996), dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis (Baker and Fox 1978;Jackson 1991), red-winged blackbirds Agelaius phoenceus (Searcy 1979), and white-throated sparrows Zonotrichia albicollis (Dearborn and Wiley 1993). In great tits Parus major, birds in low and high quality habitat were similar sized in the United Kingdom (Riddington and Gosler 1995).…”

Aggressive Interactions in Swan GeeseAnser cygnoidesand their Hybrids

“…in Juncos Junco sp. (Wiedenmann & Rabenold 1987) or even in different populations of Blue Tits Parus caeruleus from the same island (Braillet et al 2002). However, most aggressive interactions in waterfowl are intraspecific and occur while one or both participants are feeding (Baldassarre & Bolen 1994).…”