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Taff CC, McNew SM, Zimmer C, Uehling JJ, Houtz JL, Ryan TA, Chang van Oordt D, Injaian AS, Vitousek MN. Social signal manipulation and environmental challenges have independent effects on physiology, internal microbiome, and reproductive performance in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 339:723-735. [PMID: 37306329 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The social environment that individuals experience appears to be a particularly salient mediator of stress resilience, as the nature and valence of social interactions are often related to subsequent health, physiology, microbiota, and overall stress resilience. Relatively few studies have simultaneously manipulated the social environment and ecological challenges under natural conditions. Here, we report the results of experiments in wild tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in which we manipulated both ecological challenges (predator encounters and flight efficiency reduction) and social interactions (by experimental dulling of a social signal). In two experiments conducted in separate years, we reversed the order of these treatments so that females experienced either an altered social signal followed by a challenge or vice-versa. Before, during, and after treatments were applied, we tracked breeding success, morphology and physiology (mass, corticosterone, and glucose), nest box visits via an RFID sensor network, cloacal microbiome diversity, and fledging success. Overall, we found that predator exposure during the nestling period reduced the likelihood of fledging and that signal manipulation sometimes altered nest box visitation patterns, but little evidence that the two categories of treatment interacted with each other. We discuss the implications of our results for understanding what types of challenges and what conditions are most likely to result in interactions between the social environment and ecological challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sabrina M McNew
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Paris, France
| | - Jennifer J Uehling
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer L Houtz
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Thomas A Ryan
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - David Chang van Oordt
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Taff CC, Zimmer C, Scheck D, Ryan TA, Houtz JL, Smee MR, Hendry TA, Vitousek MN. Plumage manipulation alters associations between behaviour, physiology, the internal microbiome and fitness. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Soulsbury CD, Gray HE, Smith LM, Braithwaite V, Cotter SC, Elwood RW, Wilkinson A, Collins LM. The welfare and ethics of research involving wild animals: A primer. Methods Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Helen E. Gray
- Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | | | | | | | - Robert W. Elwood
- School of Biological Sciences Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK
| | - Anna Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences University of Lincoln Lincoln UK
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Berzins LL, Dawson RD. Does experimentally altered plumage brightness influence extra-pair mating success in female Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor)? CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent empirical evidence suggests that ornamental traits displayed by female birds may reflect aspects of their quality, and function during competitive interactions and (or) social mate attraction; however, less is known about how such traits influence extra-pair paternity. In Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)), plumage brightness of females signals their quality and may be related to extra-pair paternity if it enables them to invade the territories of other females to seek extra-pair copulations and (or) if potential extra-pair mates perceive their plumage brightness as attractive. Therefore, to examine whether the plumage brightness displayed by females influence rates of extra-pair paternity and the number of sires per brood, we experimentally enhanced and reduced the plumage brightness of females relative to controls. Our results showed that plumage brightness treatment of the female did not influence the number of extra-pair offspring in nests or the likelihood of a brood containing extra-pair offspring. Additionally, the number of extra-pair males siring offspring within the broods of females did not differ by plumage brightness treatment. Although extra-pair paternity has been shown to be beneficial for female Tree Swallows, our results suggest that plumage brightness of females does not influence their ability to engage in extra-pair mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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Berzins LL, Dawson RD. Does experimentally altered plumage ornamentation of female passerines influence nestling quality? A test in female tree swallows. Ethology 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George British Columbia Canada
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George British Columbia Canada
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