A UV signal of offspring condition mediates context-dependent parental favouritism.

Details

Ressource 1Download: BIB_16AF1EE732BA.P001.pdf (190.26 [Ko])
State: Public
Version: author
Serval ID
serval:BIB_16AF1EE732BA
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
A UV signal of offspring condition mediates context-dependent parental favouritism.
Journal
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B Biological Sciences
Author(s)
Bize P., Piault R., Moureau B., Heeb P.
ISSN
0962-8452[print], 0962-8452[linking]
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2006
Volume
273
Number
1597
Pages
2063-2068
Language
english
Abstract
As fitness returns during a breeding attempt are context-dependent, parents are predicted to bias their food allocation within a brood from poor towards good condition nestlings when environmental conditions deteriorate. We tested this prediction in the Alpine swift and the European starling, two migratory bird species, by modifying an ultraviolet (UV) visual signal of condition in nestlings and exploring how parents allocate food to their young as the season progresses. We show in both species that: (i) UV light reflected by the body skin of offspring positively correlates with their stature (i.e. body mass and skeletal size) and (ii) parental favouritism towards young with more UV reflective skin gradually increases as the season progresses. Early-breeding parents supplied food preferentially to UV pale (i.e. small stature) nestlings, whereas late-breeding parents favoured UV bright offspring (i.e. large stature). These results emphasize that parents use UV signals of offspring condition to adjust their feeding strategies depending on the ecological context.
Keywords
Animals, Birds/physiology, Cues, Nesting Behavior, Passeriformes/physiology, Seasons, Ultraviolet Rays
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
19/11/2007 9:38
Last modification date
20/08/2019 12:46
Usage data