Social Status Interacts with Badge Size and Neuroendocrine Physiology to Influence Sexual Behavior in Male House Sparrows (Passer domesticus)

2004 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren V. Riters ◽  
Donald P. Teague ◽  
Molly B. Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Male House ◽  
Badge Size

scholarly journals Differential selection according to the degree of cheating in a status signal

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 667-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinichi Nakagawa ◽  
Jin-Won Lee ◽  
Beth K Woodward ◽  
Ben J Hatchwell ◽  
Terry Burke
Keyword(s):  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Winter Survival ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Differential Selection ◽  
Status Signal ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Male House ◽  
Badge Size

The maintenance of honesty in a badge-of-status system is not fully understood, despite numerous empirical and theoretical studies. Our experiment examined the relationship between a status signal and winter survival, and the long-term costs of cheating, by manipulating badge size in male house sparrows, Passer domesticus . The effect of badge-size manipulation on survival was complex owing to the significant interactions between the treatments and original (natural) badge size, and between the treatments and age classes (yearlings and older birds). Nevertheless, in the experimental (badge-enlargement) group, males with originally large badges had increased winter survival, while males with originally small badges had decreased survival. This indicates that differential selection can act on a trait according to the degree of cheating.

scholarly journals Uropygial gland and bib colouration in the house sparrow

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Uropygial Gland ◽  
Short Term ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Gland Size ◽  
Plumage Colouration ◽  
Preen Oil ◽  
Male House

Birds frequently signal different qualities by plumage colouration, mainly during mating. However, plumage colouration is determined during the moult, and therefore it would indicate the quality of individual birds during the moult, not its current quality. Recent studies, however, suggest that birds could modify plumage colouration by using cosmetic preen oil. In this study, I show that bib colouration is related to uropygial gland size and body condition in male house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Moreover, I conducted an experiment in which a group of sparrows were inoculated with an antigen, mimicking an illness. In control birds, short-term changes in bib colouration were related to both body condition and change in uropygial gland size. Therefore, birds that spent more preen oil (thus, reducing uropygial gland size), showed a greater colouration change. However, bib colouration did not change with use of preen oil in experimental birds inoculated with the antigen. That is, the simulated illness cancelled the effect of preen oil on bib colouration. Given that the experiment did not affect preen oil production, this finding suggests that the immune challenge provoked a change in the composition of preen oil, affecting its cosmetic properties. In short, the results of this study suggest that (1) male house sparrows produce cosmetic preen oil that alters the colouration of their bibs; (2) the more effort in preening, the more change in bib colouration; and (3) in this way, bib colouration has the potential to signal current health status, since less healthy birds showed less capacity to change bib colouration.

House sparrows (Passer domesticus) adjust their social status position to their physiological costs

2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin M. Lindström ◽  
Dennis Hasselquist ◽  
Martin Wikelski
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Status Position

scholarly journals Badge Size and Extra-Pair Fertilizations in the House Sparrow

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. Whitekiller ◽  
David F. Westneat ◽  
P. L. Schwagmeyer ◽  
Douglas W. Mock
Keyword(s):  
Dna Fingerprinting ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Genetic Benefits ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
Badge Size

Abstract For House Sparrows, Passer domesticus, it has been proposed that the size of a male's throat badge correlates with his success in avoiding cuckoldry as well as obtaining extra-pair copulations (EPCs), and that females gain indirect (genetic) benefits from EPCs with large-badged males. Alternatively, female House Sparrows may engage in EPCs as a guard against their social mate's infertility. We used multi-locus DNA fingerprinting to examine paternity and found that among 41 broods and 136 offspring, 20% of the offspring were attributable to extra-pair fertilizations (EPFs). Forty-one percent of the 34 males were cuckolded; however, large-badged males were as likely to be cuckolded as small-badged males. Moreover, we found no evidence that large-badged males were inherently superior to small-badged males in terms of survivorship. We compared the prevalence of unhatched eggs in broods with and without extra-pair offspring to determine whether EPFs are associated with hatching failure. Although we detected no association between hatch failure and EPFs, enhanced fertility remains a plausible EPC benefit to females, but experimental approaches may be required to evaluate its significance.

Production Of Melanin-Based Plumage Traits In Male House Sparrows: No Effect Of Dietary Copper

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-15
Author(s):  
Ian R.K. Stewart ◽  
David F. Westneat
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Enzymatic Oxidation ◽  
Copper Level ◽  
Melanin Production ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Dietary Copper ◽  
Male House ◽  
Recommended Level

Abstract In many bird species, males possess conspicuous patches of black feathers on their head or breast, the size of which is often positively related to their success in intra- and intersexual interactions. The production of these plumage signals is presumed to depend upon one or more limiting factors which prevent low quality males developing large signals in order to gain the associated benefits. The coloration of these feathers is due to their infusion with the pigment melanin, which birds synthesize endogenously during a series of conversion steps beginning with the enzymatic oxidation of the amino acid tyrosine. Copper is the cofactor of the enzyme responsible for this process, and it is possible that copper level limits the activity of the enzyme and therefore limits melanin production. We tested this hypothesis by manipulating the level of dietary copper available to individually caged juvenile and adult house sparrows (Passer domesticus) throughout their moult. Birds were provided with artificial diets containing either 100%, 50% or 10% of the recommended level of copper. Dietary copper did not affect the size of the black breast patch, the most obvious melanin-based plumage trait in this species, nor did it affect the reflectance of the black feathers. In sum, we reject the hypothesis that dietary copper limits the size or blackness of the breast patch of the male house sparrow.

Dietary amino acids influence plumage traits and immune responses of male house sparrows, Passer domesticus, but not as expected

2005 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 1171-1181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph P. Poston ◽  
Dennis Hasselquist ◽  
Ian R.K. Stewart ◽  
David F. Westneat
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Dietary Amino Acids ◽  
Male House
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