What Determines the Rates of Double Brooding in the Western Bluebird?

Jacobs, Anne C.; Reader, Lindsey L.; Fair, Jeanne M.

doi:10.1525/cond.2013.120085

Cited by 17 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In our study, coloration was not linked to either breeding date or mass in females, both of which can indicate double brooding potential (Jacobs et al. ). Parker () suggested that if prospective mates differ greatly in their quality, even the sex that invests less in the mating, as extra‐pair males certainly do, could display choosiness.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 46%

“…() and Jacobs et al. (). We conducted the project during the breeding season (May through Aug.) in 2010, 2011, and 2012.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Female western bluebirds can potentially double their reproductive success in a season by producing second broods, and females that produce second broods breed earlier and are heavier, implying that individual quality plays a role in breeding success (Jacobs et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Coloration, Paternity, and Assortative Mating in Western Bluebirds

2014

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Coloration in birds can act as an important sexual signal in males, yet in many species, both sexes display bright colors. Social selection may account for this pattern, with more brightly colored individuals pairing together on the best territories. Mutual mate choice may also explain this, as males investing a great deal of parental care in the offspring should be choosy about their social mates. It is less clear whether this pattern of mate choice can apply to extra‐pair partners as well. We examined western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) to determine whether more colorful individuals tended to pair with one another, both in social pairs and between females and their extra‐pair partners. Both male and female western bluebirds display both UV‐blue structural plumage and a melanin‐based chestnut breast patch, although females are duller than males. Social pairs mated assortatively with regard to UV‐blue brightness, but not chestnut coloration. There was no evidence that extra‐pair partners mated assortatively, but males with brighter UV‐blue coloration had fewer extra‐pair offspring in their nests. Older males were more successful at siring extra‐pair offspring, despite displaying no differences in coloration compared to younger males. Coloration did not play a role in determining extra‐pair male success. These results suggest that coloration plays a role in the formation of social pairs, but not mate choice for extra‐pair partners.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 46%

“…() and Jacobs et al. (). We conducted the project during the breeding season (May through Aug.) in 2010, 2011, and 2012.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Coloration, Paternity, and Assortative Mating in Western Bluebirds

2014

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“…However, we found that daily nest mortality rates increased the nesting synchrony of second broods. Second broods often depend on the laying date of first clutches (Verhulst and Hut , Jacobs et al , Carro et al , Zając et al ). The results of several studies have revealed that factors such as food availability and climate can cause a delay in the start of breeding, reducing the reproductive value of second broods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and temporal variation in breeding parameters of two south‐temperate populations of House Wrens

Fernández

Carro

Llambías³

2020

J. Field Ornithol.

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Studies of variation in breeding parameters are often based on temporal analyses of a single population. However, to differentiate between the effects of regional and local factors, neighboring populations with limited interpopulational dispersal need to be compared. We studied two nearby (< 5 km apart) populations of House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon bonariae) at two ranches (Los Zorzales, 10 years; La Esperanza, 13 years) in south‐temperate Argentina to assess the possible effects of regional and local factors on breeding phenology. For each breeding season, we recorded laying dates, clutch sizes, and length of the breeding season, and estimated the reproductive synchrony of first and second breeding attempts. We examined how these breeding parameters were affected by weather, population density, and rates of nest failure. With favorable temperatures during the pre‐reproductive period (September–October), wrens in both populations initiated first breeding attempts earlier. However, ordinal laying dates were also affected by local factors, with wrens at Los Zorzales initiating breeding attempts earlier than those at La Esperanza. We found a spatial correlation in clutch sizes between populations for the 2007–2012 breeding seasons, but clutch sizes of first and second nesting attempts showed low variability. Reproductive synchrony of first nesting attempts varied among years, suggesting an effect of regional factors. However, we detected no synchronization between populations and were unable to identify environmental variables that explained the temporal variation. Ordinal laying dates of second clutches were strongly correlated with the ordinal laying dates of first clutches. We also found that the length of breeding seasons was longer when daily nest mortality rates were lower. Although environmental factors seemed to affect the decision of when to start breeding, pairs with successful first nesting attempts were more likely to initiate second nests, thus affecting the length of the breeding season. The spatial variation and temporal variation of the breeding parameters of House Wrens in our study provide evidence of marked plasticity in their breeding decisions and allowed us to identify local and regional environmental factors related to this variation.

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“…This inclusion was to account for the variation (i.e. weather, food availability) between breeding seasons, a factor previously shown to influence breeding success and patterns, including second brood attempts in western bluebirds (Jacobs et al 2013) and great tits (Husby et al 2009). The 2015 breeding season was characterized by extreme drought (total rainfall in San Luis Obispo, January 2015-March 2015: 6.1 cm, U.S.…”

Section: Data Collection and Field Monitoring-in Each Year Nest Box Mmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Experimental Noise Exposure on Songbird Nesting Behaviors and Nest Success

Mulholland

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Effects of Experimental Noise Exposure on Songbird Nesting Behaviors and Nest Success Tracy Irene MulhollandAnthropogenic noise is an increasingly prevalent global disturbance. Animals that rely on the acoustical environment, such as songbirds, are especially vulnerable to these sounds. Traffic noise, in particular, overlaps with the frequency range of songbirds, creating masking effects. We investigated the effects of chronic traffic noise on provisioning behaviors and breeding success of nesting western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) and ash-throated flycatchers (Myiarchus cinerascens). Because anthropogenic noise exposure has the potential to interrupt parent-offspring communication and alter vigilance behaviors, we predicted that traffic noise would lead to changes in provisioning behaviors, such as fewer visits to the nest box, for each species. We also predicted the noise to negatively influence one or more metrics reflective of reproductive success, such as nest success, clutch size, number of nestlings or number of fledglings. Importantly, we were able to eliminate self-sorting among individuals with respect to noise and other possible effects of traffic, such as collisions and pollution, by experimentally introducing traffic noise into nest boxes after clutch initiation using playback systems. Our results indicate no effect of traffic noise on S. mexicana reproductive measures, despite seeing changes in provisioning behaviors suggestive of an increased stress response. However, M. cinerascens experienced fitness consequences from chronic anthropogenic noise exposure when combined with the effect of year. Despite equal clutch sizes to flycatchers in boxes with no noise exposure, noise-treated flycatcher nests experienced a reduction in v hatching success and subsequent metrics, such as number of nestlings or fledglings relative to control boxes, during the first study year. The year in which we witnessed the decline in nest success for ash-throated treatment individuals coincided with a significant drought year, suggesting that combinations of multiple stressors lead to nest abandonment. In recording provisioning behaviors during the fledgling stage, no difference in provisioning was found between treatment and control ash-throated flycatcher nests. We contrast these species-specific responses to recent observational work on both species in New Mexico and other studies that have examined fitness consequences of noise. Lastly, we stress the importance of these findings in addressing current conservation practices of nest box placement with respect to roads.

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What Determines the Rates of Double Brooding in the Western Bluebird?

Cited by 17 publications

References 31 publications

Coloration, Paternity, and Assortative Mating in Western Bluebirds

Coloration, Paternity, and Assortative Mating in Western Bluebirds

Spatial and temporal variation in breeding parameters of two south‐temperate populations of House Wrens

Effects of Experimental Noise Exposure on Songbird Nesting Behaviors and Nest Success

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