Breeding House Sparrows, Passer domesticus in Captivity

1973 ◽  
pp. 39-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl J. Mitchell ◽  
Richard O. Hayes
Keyword(s):  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
In Captivity

Trade-offs between molt and immune activity in two populations of house sparrows (Passer domesticus)

2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 780-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn B Martin II
Keyword(s):  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Immune Defense ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Immune Activity ◽  
Feather Growth ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Time Of Year ◽  
Two Populations

Molt and immune defense are critical activities in which all birds must invest. Because each is costly, wild passerines may have to decrease their investment in one activity if they are to increase investments to others. Here, I studied such molt–immune trade-offs in one neotropical and one north-temperate population of house sparrows (Passer domesticus (L., 1758)). I included two populations in my study to investigate if molt–immune trade-offs in this species are phenotypically plastic or fixed. I expected that if they were fixed, then immune activity, molt, and immune–molt trade-offs would be distinct between populations after they were kept in captivity for 1 year under similar conditions. I found evidence for molt–immune trade-offs in house sparrows. Feather growth was inversely related to cutaneous immune activity to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Furthermore, feather growth 3 weeks post immune challenge was lower in immune-challenged birds relative to saline-injected controls. However, there was no effect of population of origin on these patterns, or the rate of molt or PHA response at this time of year in each population. Thus, while house sparrows probably do face trade-offs between molt and immune activity in the wild, any variation in these trade-offs between populations are likely plastic responses to different environments.

scholarly journals Social Environment Affects Beak Color in Captive Male House Sparrows Passer Domesticus

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-17
Author(s):  
Michael P. Lombardo ◽  
Patrick A. Thorpe ◽  
Sheila Colpetzer
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Secondary Sexual Characteristic ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Physical Interactions ◽  
Sexual Characteristic ◽  
Male House

AbstractBlack beak color in male House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) is a secondary sexual characteristic whose expression is directly correlated with testosterone levels. To experimentally determine if social environment affects black beak color and by implication testosterone levels, we housed wild-caught male sparrows either individually (n = 10), “Solo” males, or in the company of two other males (n = 4 “Group”s of 3 males), “Group” males, from 26 May – 7 July 2006. We predicted that “Solo” males would lose beak color faster than would “Group” males. We used digital images to monitor beak color once a week starting on 26 May. Beak blackness decreased more quickly and to a greater degree in “Solo” than in “Group” males. These results show that social environment in captivity affected beak color and suggest that male House Sparrows may require physical interactions to maintain breeding season levels of testosterone.

scholarly journals Ageing in house sparrows is insensitive to environmental effects

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirre J. P. Simons ◽  
Isabel Winney ◽  
Antje Girndt ◽  
Mark Rees ◽  
Shinichi Nakagawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Adult Mortality ◽  
Specific Rate ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Rate Of Ageing ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractVariation in individual life histories, and physiology, determines the rates at which new life is generated (reproduction) and lost (death) in a population. Studying the demography of deaths thus reveals fundamental aspects of the biology of individuals within a population. We studied mortality senescence – the increase in mortality rate with age – in wild and captive house sparrows (Passer domesticus), and demonstrate highly similar mortality senescence in both, but markedly lower vulnerability to death (frailty) in captivity. This suggests that house sparrows have a species-specific rate of ageing that is insensitive to environmental effects. Unexpectedly, juvenile and adult mortality co-varied positively across years in the wild, indicating that mortality is not strongly density-dependent. Mortality also varied widely among years, suggesting a strong environmental effect, and we explain the observed patterns using temperature data and predation by birds of prey. We discuss how stochastic environmental effects can affect the evolution of ageing.

scholarly journals Non-breeding feather concentrations of testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol are associated with subsequent survival in wild house sparrows

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1733) ◽  
pp. 1560-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Koren ◽  
Shinichi Nakagawa ◽  
Terry Burke ◽  
Kiran K. Soma ◽  
Katherine E. Wynne-Edwards ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Darwinian Fitness ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Subject ◽  
As Stress

Potential mechanistic mediators of Darwinian fitness, such as stress hormones or sex hormones, have been the focus of many studies. An inverse relationship between fitness and stress or sex hormone concentrations has been widely assumed, although empirical evidence is scarce. Feathers gradually accumulate hormones during their growth and provide a novel way to measure hormone concentrations integrated over time. Using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, we measured testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol in the feathers of house sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) in a wild population which is the subject of a long-term study. Although corticosterone is considered the dominant avian glucocorticoid, we unambiguously identified cortisol in feathers. In addition, we found that feathers grown during the post-nuptial moult in autumn contained testosterone, corticosterone and cortisol levels that were significantly higher in birds that subsequently died over the following winter than in birds that survived. Thus, feather steroids are candidate prospective biomarkers to predict the future survival of individuals in the wild.

Age- and sex-related morphological and physiological differences influence escape capacity in House Sparrows (Passer domesticus)

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (10) ◽  
pp. 1021-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. De Neve ◽  
J. D. Ibañez-Alamo ◽  
M. Soler
Keyword(s):  
Escape Response ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cell Mediated Immunity ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Age And Sex

Sexual dimorphism and age-related differences are sources that contribute to morphologic and physiologic variation within animal populations. Measurement of animal performance may indicate whether this variation is functionally relevant. Our study aimed to experimentally test this statement in a captive population of House Sparrows ( Passer domesticus (L., 1758)) by examining age- and sex-related differences in escape response and its relationship to several morphological (tarsus, wing, tail lengths, and body mass) and physiological traits (cell-mediated immunity, natural antibodies, complement activity, hematocrit, and stress response). Escape response from a predator is considered a good variable to measure animal performance, because natural selection clearly favours individuals that avoid predators successfully. Our experimental design also aimed to standardize possible confounding factors affecting escape behaviour under natural conditions. We exposed sparrows to short episodes of high predation risk by simulating the attack of a predator and assumed that the capture order of individuals was related to their escape capacity. The optimal strategy was the immediate escape response for all individuals. We found that first-year males were the best escapers. In support of the hypothesis, juvenile males gathered a better optimum of several morphological and physiological characters that related to capture order.

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