Variation in the mechanical properties of flight feathers of the blackcap<i>Sylvia atricapilla</i>in relation to migration

Hera, Iván de la; Hedenström, Anders; Pérez‐Tris, Javier; Tellería, José Luis

doi:10.1111/j.1600-048x.2009.04835.x

Cited by 33 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Complementarily to this interpretation, several studies suggest that other factors could also contribute to explain variation in moult performance between summer and winter moult (such as energetic efficiency, Klaassen 1995; environmental conditions, Salewski et al 2004; or immune response, Moreno 2004). However, whatever the relative contribution of these factors to the variation observed in this study, the fact that feather mass is directly associated with the mechanical properties and resistance to wear of feathers (Dawson et al 2000, de la Hera et al 2010b), supports that timing of moult determines feather quality. Such variation in the quality of feathers had not been considered before and could contribute to explain the evolution of winter moult in the life history of birds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Relationships among timing of moult, moult duration and feather mass in long‐distance migratory passerines

Hera¹,

Pérez‐Tris²,

Tellería³

2010

Journal of Avian Biology

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Moult is a costly but necessary process in avian life, which displays two main temporal patterns within the annual cycle of birds (summer and winter moult). Timing of moult can affect its duration and consequently the amount of material invested in feathers, which could have a considerable influence on feather structure and functionality. In this study, we used two complementary approaches to test whether moult duration and feather mass vary in relation to the timing of moult. Firstly, we conducted a comparative study between a sample of long‐distance migratory passerine species which differ in moult pattern. Secondly, we took advantage of the willow warbler's Phylloscopus trochilus biannual moult, for which it is well‐known that winter moult takes longer than summer moult, to assess between‐moult variation in feather mass. Our comparative analysis showed that summer moulting species performed significantly shorter moults than winter moulters. We also detected that feathers produced in winter were comparatively heavier than those produced in summer, both in between‐species comparison and between moults of the willow warbler. These results suggest the existence of a trade‐off between moult speed and feather mass mediated by timing of moult, which could contribute to explain the diversity of moult patterns in passerines.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Relationships among timing of moult, moult duration and feather mass in long‐distance migratory passerines

Hera¹,

Pérez‐Tris²,

Tellería³

2010

Journal of Avian Biology

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“…However, it is important to note that the observed correlation between feather mass, rachis width and stiffness/resistance of a feather does not appear to apply to all bird populations. For example, in a migratory population of blackcaps ( Sylvia atricapilla ), where selection is expected to promote feather stiffness, individuals had feathers with thinner raques but a greater resistance to bending than sedentary populations [71]. An improved understanding of the relationship between feather characteristics, their physical properties and aerodynamical performance will require further laboratory and field studies on a diverse array of species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flight Performance and Feather Quality: Paying the Price of Overlapping Moult and Breeding in a Tropical Highland Bird

Echeverry‐Galvis

Hau

2013

PLoS ONE

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A temporal separation of energetically costly life history events like reproduction and maintenance of the integumentary system is thought to be promoted by selection to avoid trade-offs and maximize fitness. It has therefore remained somewhat of a paradox that certain vertebrate species can undergo both events simultaneously. Identifying potential costs of overlapping two demanding life history stages will further our understanding of the selection pressures that shape the temporal regulation of life history events in vertebrates. We studied free-living tropical Slaty brush-finches (Atlapetes schistaceus), in which individuals spontaneously overlap reproduction and moult or undergo both events in separation. To assess possible costs of such an overlap we quantified feather quality and flight performance of individuals in different states. We determined individual’s life history state by measuring gonad size and scoring moult stage, and collected a newly grown 7th primary wing feather for later analysis of feather quality. Finally, we quantified flight performance for each individual in the wild. Overlapping individuals produced lighter and shorter wing feathers than individuals just moulting, with females decreasing feather quality more strongly during the overlap than males. Moreover, overlapping individuals had a reduced flight speed during escape flights, while their foraging flight speed was unaffected. Despite overlappers being larger and having a smaller wing area, their lower body mass resulted in a similar wing load as in breeders or moulters. Individuals measured repeatedly in different states also showed significant decreases in feather quality and escape flight speed during the overlap. Reduced escape flight speed may represent a major consequence of the overlap by increasing predation risk. Our data document costs to undergoing two life history stages simultaneously, which likely arise from energetic trade-offs. Impairments in individual quality and performance may represent important factors that select for temporal separation of life history stages in other species.

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“…The production of high‐quality feathers is an important energy‐ and nutrition‐dependent life‐history trait of a bird (Murphy et al 1988, Pap et al 2008, De la Hera et al 2010) because the losses of functionality of poor‐quality feathers may lead to a fitness reduction by diminishing future performance (Svensson and Nilsson 1997, Barta et al 2006). Also, the production of an immune response to fight against pathogens is physiologically costly (Klasing 2004, Hasselquist and Nilsson 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most studies analyzing variation in feather moult with age only tested differences between juveniles and adults (De la Hera et al 2010, Gienapp and Merilä 2010, Vágási et al 2011). Here we analyzed the variation in feather growth rate and the quality of the produced feather among house martins at four different ages (1–4 yr old).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co‐infections by malaria parasites decrease feather growth but not feather quality in house martin

Marzal

Asghar

Rodríguez

et al. 2013

Journal of Avian Biology

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During moult, stressors such as malaria and related haemosporidian parasites (e.g. Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) could affect the growth rate and quality of feathers, which in turn may compromise future reproduction and survival. Recent advances in molecular methods to study parasites have revealed that co‐infections with multiple parasites are frequent in bird–malaria parasite systems. However, there is no study of the consequences of co‐infections on the moult of birds. In house martins Delichon urbica captured and studied at a breeding site in Europe during 11 yr, we measured the quality and the growth rate of tail feathers moulted in the African winter quarters in parallel with the infection status of blood parasites that are also transmitted on the wintering ground. Here we tested if the infection with two haemosporidian parasite lineages has more negative effects than a single lineage infection. We found that birds with haemosporidian infection had lower body condition. We also found that birds co‐infected with two haemosporidian lineages had the lowest inferred growth rate of their tail feathers as compared with uninfected and single infected individuals, but co‐infections had no effect on feather quality. In addition, feather quality was negatively correlated with feather growth rate, suggesting that these two traits are traded‐off against each other. We encourage the study of haemosporidian parasite infection as potential mechanism driving this trade‐off in wild populations of birds.

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Variation in the mechanical properties of flight feathers of the blackcapSylvia atricapillain relation to migration

Cited by 33 publications

References 19 publications

Relationships among timing of moult, moult duration and feather mass in long‐distance migratory passerines

Relationships among timing of moult, moult duration and feather mass in long‐distance migratory passerines

Flight Performance and Feather Quality: Paying the Price of Overlapping Moult and Breeding in a Tropical Highland Bird

Co‐infections by malaria parasites decrease feather growth but not feather quality in house martin

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