scholarly journals Yolk androgens and the development of avian immunity: an experiment in jackdaws (Corvus monedula)

2009 ◽  
Vol 212 (6) ◽  
pp. 815-822 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. I. Sandell ◽  
M. Tobler ◽  
D. Hasselquist
Keyword(s):  
Yolk Androgens ◽  
Corvus Monedula

Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Madge ◽  
Eduardo de Juana
Keyword(s):  
Corvus Monedula

An advantage for specialist feeding in jackdaws, Corvus monedula

1987 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 982-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Partridge ◽  
Paul Green
Keyword(s):  
Corvus Monedula

scholarly journals Testing relationship recognition in wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula)

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria E. Lee ◽  
Guillam E. McIvor ◽  
Alex Thornton
Keyword(s):  
Corvus Monedula

scholarly journals Maternal yolk androgens stimulate territorial behaviour in black-headed gull chicks

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 586-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendt Müller ◽  
Cor Dijkstra ◽  
Ton G. G. Groothuis
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Territorial Behaviour ◽  
Social Competition ◽  
Maternal Environment ◽  
Yolk Androgens ◽  
The Social ◽  
Food Conditions ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Colonial Breeding ◽  
Parasite Exposure

Avian eggs contain substantial amounts of maternal androgens. The concentrations of these yolk androgens are affected by the maternal environment, such as the level of social competition, parasite exposure or food conditions. Since yolk androgens have been shown to affect a wide array of offspring traits, they may adjust the chicks to the expected post-hatching environment, but experimental evidence is still scarce. We investigate in colonial breeding black-headed gulls whether high concentrations of yolk androgens, such as those found in environments with high numbers of social interactions, facilitate aggressiveness and territorial behaviour of the chicks. Black-headed gulls are highly suitable for this, as the semi-precocial chicks defend the natal territory and food against intruders. We manipulated yolk androgen concentrations and investigated their role in both within-nest and between-nest aggression. We found that chicks hatching from androgen-treated eggs defended the natal territory more often than their nest mates from control eggs, without increasing sibling aggression. This suggests that variation in yolk androgen concentrations in relation to the social environment of the mother may indeed allow adjustment of the offspring's behaviour to the expected frequency of territorial interactions with conspecifics post-hatching.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document