The Evolution of Clutch Size and Hatching Asynchrony in Altricial Birds: The Effect of Environmental Variability, Egg Failure and Predation

Oikos ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Konarzewski
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Hatching Asynchrony ◽  
Egg Failure ◽  
Altricial Birds

HATCHING ASYNCHRONY IN ALTRICIAL BIRDS

1990 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERT D. MAGRATH
Keyword(s):  
Hatching Asynchrony ◽  
Altricial Birds

Factors affecting the reproductive success of common tern (Sterna hirundo) colonies on the lower Great Lakes during the summer of 1972

1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (11) ◽  
pp. 1850-1862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph D. Morris ◽  
Rodger A. Hunter ◽  
James F. McElman
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Relative Proportion ◽  
Common Tern ◽  
Sterna Hirundo ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Fledging Success ◽  
Egg Failure

The breeding biology of five common tern (Sterna hirundo) colonies in the lower Great Lakes was studied between May and August 1972. Frequent visits were made to each colony and data collected on nests within large artificially enclosed areas. The objective was to identify factors that influence the reproductive success of common tern colonies on the Great Lakes. Hatching success was significantly dependent on clutch size and time of clutch initiation, whereas fledging success was independent of clutch size. The most common category of egg failure was disappearance from the nest. One colony (Port Colborne) realized a significantly higher hatching and fledging success than the others, among which there were no significant differences in prehatch or posthatch success rates. Factors that contributed to differences in reproductive success are presented and their relative contributions to the reproductive success of the tern colonies are discussed. The factors include the relative proportion of three-egg clutches, incubation time as a measure of 'parent attentiveness,' numerical size of the colony, predation, competition for nesting sites by gulls, food availability, flooding, and toxic chemicals. We conclude that no single factor can be readily correlated with reproductive success and suggest that caution should be exercised when considering the relationships between reproductive success and factors influencing it.

Variation in incubation length and hatching asynchrony in Eastern Kingbirds: Weather eclipses female effects

The Auk ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha M Gillette ◽  
Amanda L Klehr ◽  
Michael T Murphy
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Hatching Asynchrony ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Incubation Periods ◽  
Tyrannus Tyrannus ◽  
Eastern Kingbird ◽  
Small Clutch

Abstract Incubation length and hatching asynchrony are integral elements of the evolved reproductive strategies of birds. We examined intra- and interpopulation variation in both traits for Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) populations from New York (NY), Kansas (KS), and Oregon (OR) and found that both incubation length and hatching asynchrony were not repeatable among females, after controlling for a repeatable trait, clutch size. Instead, incubation length and clutch size were influenced by ambient temperature and precipitation. Incubation length exhibited the same median (15 days) and range (13–17 days) at all sites. Model selection results indicated that incubation periods for the smallest and largest clutches were longer in NY than KS when rain was frequent throughout incubation, in replacement nests, and likely when ambient temperatures were low during egg-laying. Full hatching usually required 2 days (but up to 3), with synchronous hatching associated with small clutch sizes, short incubation periods, frequent rain during the egg-laying period, and low ambient temperatures during the first half of incubation. Nestling starvation was uncommon (5–9% of nestlings monitored) and not associated with greater hatching asynchrony. These results indicate that while clutch size, a repeatable female trait, contributed to variation in incubation length and hatching asynchrony in Eastern Kingbirds, weather was a greater source of variation, especially for incubation length.

scholarly journals Nest defense and parental investment in Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia)

2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (7) ◽  
pp. 473-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Morrell ◽  
K.M. Johnson ◽  
C.E. Tarwater ◽  
P. Arcese
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Parental Investment ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Alarm Call ◽  
Nest Defense ◽  
Melospiza Melodia ◽  
Reproductive Value ◽  
Parental Age ◽  
Altricial Birds ◽  
Age And Sex

Individual variation in nest defense behaviour is common in altricial birds, but despite clear predictions about why such variation exists, there is no consensus on its causes. We tested for an influence of five predictors of individual variation in nest defense behaviour, including time of season, offspring age, parental age and sex, and clutch size in a well-studied Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia (A. Wilson, 1810)) population. We recorded parental responses to a standardized human approach and used model selection to assess support for each predictor. Parents tended to approach observers less closely and alarm-call less as the breeding season progressed, indicating a modest seasonal decline in parental nest defense, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the reproductive value of offspring influenced parental defense behaviour. Clutch size effect estimates were insignificant, but it was weakly supported as a predictor of nest defense, which is expected if parental investment in defense and current reproductive effort are positively related. Offspring age, as well as parental age and sex, received little or no support as affecting parent nest defense. Our results offer limited support for the hypothesis that the reproductive value of offspring affects parental nest defense.

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