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Brood sex ratio modulates the effects of extra food on parental effort and sibling competition in a sexually dimorphic raptor. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02970-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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2
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López-López P, Perona AM, Egea-Casas O, Morant J, Urios V. Tri-axial accelerometry shows differences in energy expenditure and parental effort throughout the breeding season in long-lived raptors. Curr Zool 2021; 68:57-67. [PMID: 35169629 PMCID: PMC8836325 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cutting-edge technologies are extremely useful to develop new workflows in studying ecological data, particularly to understand animal behavior and movement trajectories at the individual level. Although parental care is a well-studied phenomenon, most studies have been focused on direct observational or video recording data, as well as experimental manipulation. Therefore, what happens out of our sight still remains unknown. Using high-frequency GPS/GSM dataloggers and tri-axial accelerometers we monitored 25 Bonelli’s eagles Aquila fasciata during the breeding season to understand parental activities from a broader perspective. We used recursive data, measured as number of visits and residence time, to reveal nest attendance patterns of biparental care with role specialization between sexes. Accelerometry data interpreted as the overall dynamic body acceleration, a proxy of energy expenditure, showed strong differences in parental effort throughout the breeding season and between sexes. Thereby, males increased substantially their energetic requirements, due to the increased workload, while females spent most of the time on the nest. Furthermore, during critical phases of the breeding season, a low percentage of suitable hunting spots in eagles’ territories led them to increase their ranging behavior in order to find food, with important consequences in energy consumption and mortality risk. Our results highlight the crucial role of males in raptor species exhibiting biparental care. Finally, we exemplify how biologging technologies are an adequate and objective method to study parental care in raptors as well as to get deeper insight into breeding ecology of birds in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia. C/Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Arturo M Perona
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia. C/Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Olga Egea-Casas
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia. C/Catedrático José, Beltrán 2, E-46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jon Morant
- Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Donostia-S. Sebastián, Guipúzcoa 03690, Spain
| | - Vicente Urios
- Vertebrates Zoology Research Group, University of Alicante, Apdo. 99, Alicante E-03080, Spain
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3
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Abstract
Abstract
The causes of the reversed sexual size dimorphism (RSD; females larger than males) in birds of prey are subject to a centuries-old, passionate debate. A crucial difficulty is to distinguish whether the postulated benefits derive from the proposed causal process(es) or are incidental. After reviewing the existing literature, we present a methodology that overcomes this difficulty and renders unnecessary any speculative a priori distinctions between evolved function and incidental effects. We can thus justify the following novel version of the well-known nest defence hypothesis as the most likely to explain the phenomenon in all birds of prey that show RSD: if the female predominates in actively defending the eggs and young against predators, then she is the heavier sex, and her relatively greater body mass is adaptive. That is, heavier females are favoured (independently of males) by natural selection. The attractiveness of this hypothesis is that it has the potential to explain the phenomenon in all raptors exhibiting RSD, can deal with the exceptional cases in this group, explains the direction of the dimorphism, focuses on a key factor in the reproductive success of most raptors, is parsimonious, i.e. does not require supporting hypotheses, and is supported by a substantial body of evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonny Schoenjahn
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Chris R Pavey
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Winnellie, NT, Australia
| | - Gimme H Walter
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Dornburg A, Warren DL, Zapfe KL, Morris R, Iglesias TL, Lamb A, Hogue G, Lukas L, Wong R. Testing ontogenetic patterns of sexual size dimorphism against expectations of the expensive tissue hypothesis, an intraspecific example using oyster toadfish ( Opsanus tau). Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3609-3616. [PMID: 29686842 PMCID: PMC5901164 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Trade‐offs associated with sexual size dimorphism (SSD) are well documented across the Tree of Life. However, studies of SSD often do not consider potential investment trade‐offs between metabolically expensive structures under sexual selection and other morphological modules. Based on the expectations of the expensive tissue hypothesis, investment in one metabolically expensive structure should come at the direct cost of investment in another. Here, we examine allometric trends in the ontogeny of oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) to test whether investment in structures known to have been influenced by strong sexual selection conform to these expectations. Despite recovering clear changes in the ontogeny of a sexually selected trait between males and females, we find no evidence for predicted ontogenetic trade‐offs with metabolically expensive organs. Our results are part of a growing body of work demonstrating that increased investment in one structure does not necessarily drive a wholesale loss of mass in one or more organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Dornburg
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh NC USA
| | - Dan L Warren
- Senckenberg Institute for Biodiversity and Climate Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | | | - Richard Morris
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh NC USA
| | - Teresa L Iglesias
- Physics and Biology Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University Okinawa Japan
| | - April Lamb
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh NC USA.,Department of Applied Ecology North Carolina State University Raleigh NC USA
| | - Gabriela Hogue
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh NC USA
| | - Laura Lukas
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh NC USA
| | - Richard Wong
- Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Dover DE USA
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Hernández-Pliego J, Rodríguez C, Bustamante J. A few long versus many short foraging trips: different foraging strategies of lesser kestrel sexes during breeding. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2017; 5:8. [PMID: 28451434 PMCID: PMC5404669 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-017-0100-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In species with biparental care both members of the breeding pair cooperate to raise the offspring either by assisting each other in every reproductive task or by specializing in different ones. The latter case is known as reproductive role specialization. Raptors are considered one of the most role-specialized groups, but little is known about parental behavior away from the nest. Until the advent of biologgers, avian role specialization was traditionally studied with direct observations at the nest because of the difficulties of following and recording the behavior of free-ranging individuals. In this paper we analyze how the role specialization of the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) influences foraging movement patterns throughout the breeding season. We tracked 30 lesser kestrel breeders from two breeding colonies using high-frequency GPS-dataloggers during four consecutive breeding seasons. RESULTS We found no differences between sexes in lesser kestrel foraging movements early in the breeding season before the formation of the breeding pair. However, we observed sexually distinct foraging movement strategies later in the breeding season once breeding pairs were formed. Lesser kestrel males performed a large number of short foraging trips while females made a few long ones. This maximized the provisioning rate by males to feed their mates and offspring. Meanwhile, lesser kestrel females spent more time at the colony than males in order to defend the nest, incubate the eggs and brood the nestlings. Females also helped their mates to provision the nestling once these had grown and required more food and less protection. Furthermore, lesser kestrels showed a sexual spatial segregation in foraging areas, with males foraging closer to the colony than females. CONCLUSIONS The lesser kestrel responds to changes in energy demand throughout the breeding season with its foraging movement strategy, but in a different way depending on parental sex. The sexual spatial segregation observed is likely to be the result of an adaptive foraging strategy based on role specialization to reduce prey depletion close to the colony and intersexual competition in order to improve breeding success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Hernández-Pliego
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Carlos Rodríguez
- Department of Conservation Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Bustamante
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), c/Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain
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Provisioning Behavior of Male and Female Eastern Screech-Owls During the Post-Brooding Period. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2017. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-177.1.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Liang H, Li N, Chen Z. The Prey Tactics by Two Owl Species in the Forest of Northeastern China. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.25225/fozo.v65.i3.a5.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hongchun Liang
- Department of Plant Protection, Tianjin Agricultural University, 22 Jinjinglu, Xiqing, Tianjin 300384, China
| | - Ning Li
- Department of Plant Protection, Tianjin Agricultural University, 22 Jinjinglu, Xiqing, Tianjin 300384, China
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Evolution of parental roles in raptors: prey type determines role asymmetry in the Eurasian kestrel. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Males respond to female begging signals of need: a handicapping experiment in the pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Sonerud GA, Steen R, Selås V, Aanonsen OM, Aasen GH, Fagerland KL, Fosså A, Kristiansen L, Løw LM, Rønning ME, Skouen SK, Asakskogen E, Johansen HM, Johnsen JT, Karlsen LI, Nyhus GC, Røed LT, Skar K, Sveen BA, Tveiten R, Slagsvold T. Evolution of parental roles in provisioning birds: diet determines role asymmetry in raptors. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Prey size increases with nestling age: are provisioning parents programmed or responding to cues from offspring? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1684-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Trophic niche width, offspring condition and immunity in a raptor species. Oecologia 2013; 174:1215-24. [PMID: 24368708 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-013-2855-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Strategies developed by organisms to maximize foraging efficiency have a strong influence on fitness. The way in which the range of food resources is exploited has served to classify species, populations and individuals from more specialist (narrow trophic niche) to more generalist (broad trophic niche). Recent studies have provided evidence that many of the considered generalist species/populations are actually composed of different specialist individuals (individual specialization). Even the existence of generalism as an adaptive strategy has been questioned. In this study, we investigated the relationship between trophic niche width, individual quality and offspring viability in a population of common kestrel Falco tinnunculus during 4 years. We showed that the diet of kestrels varied significantly among years and that individuals of better quality fed their offspring with a higher diversity of prey species and a higher amount of food. Moreover, body condition and immune response of nestlings were positively correlated with diversity of prey delivered by parents. Our study suggests that generalism has the potential to increase fitness and that broadening the trophic niche may be an adaptive strategy in unpredictable environments.
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