Size, condition, and territory ownership in male tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor)

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Lozano
Keyword(s):  
Dry Mass ◽  
Nutritional Condition ◽  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Resource Holding Potential ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Male Tree ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Size Condition

Male tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) territory owners and floaters were compared in terms of size and nutritional condition to test the resource holding potential hypothesis. Owners were larger than floaters when compared using six morphological measurements. There were no differences in dry mass, ash, or fat content, but territory owners were heavier and had larger protein reserves than floaters. Territory owners may be those individuals who win intrasexual conflicts for the possession of nest boxes, or those who, because of their better nutritional condition, can arrive at the breeding grounds earlier to secure a territory.

scholarly journals Diet of the Nestling Tree Swallow

The Condor ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean M. Mengelkoch ◽  
Gerald J. Niemi ◽  
Ronald R. Regal
Keyword(s):  
Open Water ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Terrestrial Origin ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Foraging Radius

Abstract Dietary samples from nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in northwestern Minnesota were compared to invertebrate availability as measured by aerial tow nets. The majority of the biomass in the nestlings' diet was adult insects with larval stages of aquatic origin, while absolute numbers of insects of both aquatic and terrestrial origin were similar. Orders of invertebrates in the diet and available were similar in number but not in biomass. Diet showed little variation by time of day, date of sampling or the age of the nestling. The mean number of odonates in the nestling Tree Swallows' diet increased exponentially as the percentage of open water and open water + cattail marsh increased within a 400-m foraging radius. Dieta de los Pichones de Tachycineta bicolor Resumen. Se compararon muestras dietarias de pichones de la golondrina Tachycineta bicolor tomadas en el noroeste de Minnesota con la disponibilidad de invertebrados medida con redes aéreas. La mayor parte de la biomasa en la dieta de los pichones correspondió a insectos adultos con estadíos larvales de origen acuá tico, mientras que los números absolutos de insectos de origen acuático y no acuático fueron similares. Los órdenes de invertebrados presentes en la dieta y disponibles en el ambiente fueron similares en números pero no en biomasa. La dieta mostró poca variación entre horas del día, fechas de muestreo o edad de los pichones. El número promedio de odonatos en la dieta de los pichones de T. bicolor aumentó exponencialmente a medida que se incrementó el porcentaje de agua abierta y de agua abierta + pantanos de espadañas dentro de un radio de forrajeo de 400 m.

Plumage brightness and age predict extrapair fertilization success of male tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor

2007 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 1777-1784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Paul Bitton ◽  
Erin L. O'Brien ◽  
Russell D. Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Fertilization Success ◽  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Male Tree

Dawn song repertoires of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor)

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 1084-1091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew G. Horn
Keyword(s):  
Random Number ◽  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Repertoire Size ◽  
Syllable Type ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Male Tree ◽  
Dawn Song ◽  
Individual Distinctiveness ◽  
Song Repertoires

I describe the dawn songs of 38 male tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) recorded at five sites near Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Males deliver dawn song each morning during the hour before dawn, while flying elliptical paths above their nest sites. These dawn songs consist of syllables approximately 0.15 s long, delivered every 1.5 s. Each male has a recorded repertoire of one to seven discrete syllable types (average 2.6) and may repeat each syllable type an apparently random number of times before switching to the next. Most syllables could be classified on the basis of their structure into seven types, with much variation among renditions by different males of any given syllable type. Three of these syllable types were very similar to call notes that have specific uses at other times of day. Syllable types were randomly distributed among males and sites. In this species neither syllable type, the number of times each type is repeated (string length), nor the number of types a male sings (repertoire size) appears to carry particular messages or advertise male quality. Instead, syllable types may provide individual distinctiveness and variety in song sequences.

A test of the genetic compatibility hypothesis with tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (7) ◽  
pp. 955-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen A Barber ◽  
Mandy J Edwards ◽  
Raleigh J Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Similarity ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Genetic Compatibility ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Socially Monogamous ◽  
Compatibility Hypothesis

The genetic compatibility hypothesis proposes that females should mate with genetically dissimilar males whose alleles best complement their own, resulting in greater offspring heterozygosity. It predicts that genetic similarity between social pairs will be positively related to the proportion of extra-pair young within broods and negatively related to hatching success. We tested these two predictions in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) pairs (n = 72). Tree swallows have one of the highest rates of extra-pair paternity among socially monogamous passerines. Contrary to expectation, genetic similarity of a social pair, as measured by the band-sharing coefficient (estimated from multilocus DNA fingerprints), tended to be negatively related to the proportion of extra-pair young within broods, but failed to predict hatching success. When including only the subset of nests for which we had complete genotyping data (n = 37), we again found a significant negative relationship between genetic similarity and the proportion of extra-pair young within broods. Genetic similarity did not differ significantly between nests with and without extra-pair young, nor did it differ between nests with total versus partial hatching success. Overall, our data do not support the genetic compatibility hypothesis in tree swallows, and in fact show some evidence against it.

Individual and environmental determinants of reproductive success in male tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

2014 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 733-742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andréanne Lessard ◽  
Audrey Bourret ◽  
Marc Bélisle ◽  
Fanie Pelletier ◽  
Dany Garant
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Male Tree

Breeding biology of tree swallows in relation to wetland acidity

1988 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 842-849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Blancher ◽  
Donald K. McNicol
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Concentration ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Avian Reproduction ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Organic Carbon Concentration ◽  
Carbon Concentrations

We examined aspects of the breeding biology of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in relation to the pH, presence or absence of fish, and dissolved organic carbon concentration in 51 wetlands adjacent to nest boxes northeast of Sudbury, Ontario. Wetland pH was positively related to swallow clutch size, the total volume of eggs in a clutch (clutch volume), the number of fledglings per successful nest, and several measures of nestling size and growth. Swallows breeding near wetlands where fish were present laid earlier, but had smaller eggs and clutch volumes and slower growth of primary feathers than swallows breeding near fishless wetlands. Organic carbon concentrations were poorly related to the reproduction of swallows. These results are discussed in relation to possible mechanisms for the effects of wetland acidity on avian reproduction.

scholarly journals Occurrence of anthropogenic litter in nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor)

2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-308
Author(s):  
Stephanie Walsh ◽  
Jennifer Haughton ◽  
Lee Bellan ◽  
Isabelle Gosselin ◽  
Amy Festarini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Strontium 90 ◽  
Harmful Substances ◽  
Mollusc Shells

While undertaking a study of the effects of strontium-90 on Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) near Chalk River, Ontario, we noticed the presence of anthropogenic litter (pieces of metal, glass, and plastic, and paper, plastic, and foil wrappers, >1 mm in size) in the nestlings. Although combustible litter (pieces of plastic and wrappers) were not quantified before the nestlings were incinerated in 2014 and 2015, gizzards were dissected in 2016. Litter (>1 mm diameter) was found in 30% of the 74 nestlings examined. This material is most likely provided to nestlings, along with food (insects) and natural grit (sand, stones, and mollusc shells), which we also found, by parent birds; however, it could lead to internal injuries and/or harmful substances being absorbed by the young birds.

scholarly journals Female Responses to Intraspecific Brood Parasitism in the Tree Swallow

The Condor ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 166-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda A. Whittingham ◽  
Peter O. Dunn
Keyword(s):  
Brood Parasitism ◽  
Tachycineta Bicolor ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Laying Date ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Nest Cavity ◽  
Intraspecific Brood Parasitism ◽  
Nest Desertion ◽  
Indirect Consequence ◽  
Female Responses

Abstract We studied female responses to experimental intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP), or egg-dumping, in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Unlike other species of swallows, Tree Swallow nests are rarely parasitized by conspecifics. We experimentally parasitized nests of Tree Swallows to investigate how females respond to uncertain maternity. Host females accepted a parasitic egg if it was added to the nest within 3 days of the host's first egg (62%). In contrast, the host female buried the parasitic egg (24%) or deserted the nest (14%) when the parasitic egg was added 4 or more days before the host's first egg. The acceptance of parasitic eggs close to the host's own laying date is similar to the behavior reported for other species; however, egg burial and nest desertion appear to be rare as responses to intraspecific brood parasitism. We suggest that the low level of IBP in Tree Swallows has evolved as an indirect consequence of females defending their nest cavity against usurpation.

scholarly journals Short-term exposure to unmanned aerial vehicles does not alter stress responses in breeding tree swallows

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley D Scholten ◽  
Abigail R Beard ◽  
Hyeryeong Choi ◽  
Dena M Baker ◽  
Margaret E Caulfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Control Object ◽  
Tree Swallow ◽  
Tree Swallows ◽  
Avian Behavior ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
First Results

Abstract Recent studies suggest that visual and acoustic anthropogenic disturbances can cause physiological stress in animals. Human-induced stress may be particularly problematic for birds as new technologies, such as drones, increasingly invade their low-altitude air space. Although professional and recreational drone usage is increasing rapidly, there is little information on how drones affect avian behavior and physiology. We examined the effects of drone activity on behavior and physiology in adult, box-nesting tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Specifically, we monitored bird behavior during drone flights and in response to a control object and measured telomere lengths and corticosterone levels as indicators of longer-term physiological stress. We predicted that drone-exposed tree swallows would habituate behaviorally after multiple flights, but that telomeres would shorten more quickly and that baseline corticosterone levels would be altered. One significant and two strong, non-significant trends in behavioral assays indicated that adult swallows acted more aggressively towards drone presence compared to a control object, but were slower to approach the drone initially. Swallows were also more reluctant to use nest boxes during drone activity. Tree swallows habituated to drone presence as expected, although the rate of habituation often did not differ between drone-exposed and control groups. Contrary to our prediction, drone activity did not affect telomere length, corticosterone levels, body mass or fledging rates. Overall, our results indicate that a small number of short, targeted, drone flights do not impact tree swallow health or productivity differently than a non-invasive control object. Minor behavioral differences suggest that increasing the frequency of drone use could impact this species. We provide some of the first results addressing how drone activity alters behavioral, physiological and molecular responses to stress in songbirds. A better understanding of these impacts will allow ecologists to make more informed decisions on the use and regulation of new drone technologies.

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