A sex difference in the behavioural response of nesting mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) to a mounted predator

Gibson, Keith; Moehrenschlager, Axel

doi:10.1007/s10164-007-0045-0

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…An interesting example concerns the evolution of sentinel systems as documented in a number of species (monkeys: Uster & Zuberbühler, 2001;birds: Wright et al, 2001;suricates: Manser et al, 2002). Also, in many species, including primates (brown capuchin (Cebus apella) or white-fronted capuchin (C. albifrons): van Schaik & van Noordwijk, 1989) and birds (red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus): Yasukawa et al, 1992; mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) Gibson & Moehrenschlager, 2008), the anti-predator behaviour is sex-specific. Males typically engage in more vigilance or more risky behaviours (approaching, counter-attacking) than females (Cercopithecus pogonias and C. cephus: Gautier et al, 1983;C.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anti-predator strategies of free-ranging Campbell's monkeys

Ouattara¹,

Lemasson²,

Zuberbühler³

2009

Behav

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SummaryHabitat type, predation pressure and reproductive interests are all thought to determine the anti-predator behaviour of non-primates, but only few systematic studies exist. Here, we experimentally elicited anti-predator behaviour in six different groups of forest-living Campbell's monkeys, using visual and acoustic models of leopards, crowned eagles, and snakes. Individuals produced a variety of anti-predator behaviours, depending on the type of predator and whether or not it was visible. Adult males generally behaved conspicuously, either by attacking eagles or producing threat behaviours at a distance to leopards. Adult females remained cryptic to eagles, but joined their male in approaching leopards. To snakes, both males and females responded strongly to familiar Gaboon vipers, but far less to unfamiliar black mambas. Finally, if a predator could only be heard, both males and females produced fewer alarm calls and often changed their vertical position in the canopy (upwards for leopards; downwards for eagles), despite all predator vocalisations being presented from the ground. We concluded that Campbell's monkeys display sex-specific anti-predator behaviours, which are largely driven by the predators' hunting techniques, mode of predator detection and the forest habitat structure.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anti-predator strategies of free-ranging Campbell's monkeys

Ouattara¹,

Lemasson²,

Zuberbühler³

2009

Behav

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“…Although socially monogamous, the rate of extra-pair paternity is high in this species (72% of broods; Balenger et al 2009b), thus providing the opportunity for sexual selection. Because both sexes contribute to offspring provisioning and territory defense (Gibson and Moehrenschlage 2008), mutual mate choice is expected to be beneficial (Clutton-Brock 2009). Thus, Mountain Bluebirds are well suited for studying the role of structural plumage in mate choice and sexual selection.…”

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confidence: 99%

Reproductive correlates of plumage coloration of female Mountain Bluebirds

2014

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Many studies have shown that the plumage coloration of male birds can act as an honest signal of quality, indicating benefits that a female could gain from pairing with a specific male. In some species, females also display ornamental plumage, but less is known about the function and potential adaptive significance of female coloration because most research has focused on male coloration. Male Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) display full body, ultraviolet (UV)‐blue plumage, whereas female plumage is more subdued, with blue color focused on the rump, wing, and tail. During the 2011 and 2012 breeding seasons (May–July) near Kamloops, BC, Canada, we examined coloration of the rump and tail of female Mountain Bluebirds to determine if their plumage could act as an indicator of direct reproductive benefits (e.g., enhanced parental care or reproductive success) to potential mates. We found no relationship between female plumage coloration and either provisioning rate or fledging success. However, female coloration varied with age, with after‐second‐year (ASY) females having brighter, more UV‐blue tail feathers than second‐year (SY) females. In addition, ASY females with brighter, more UV‐blue tails had larger clutches. We also observed positive assortative mating by tarsus length. Because previous work with other species suggests that female body size may be a good predictor of breeding success, males could potentially benefit from pairing with larger females. However, reproductive success did not vary with female size in our study. Although our evidence that structural plumage coloration of female Mountain Bluebirds is a signal of direct reproductive benefits for males (e.g., higher reproductive success) is limited, our results (i.e., ASY females with brighter tails than SY females, and ASY females with brighter tails having larger clutches) do suggest the potential for sexual selection to act on female coloration.

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“…The contribution of eastern bluebird fathers to fledglings may come primarily in the form of nest and territory defense (e.g. Gibson and Moehrenshlager 2008; Hogstad 2005; Rytkönen et al 1993). In support of this idea, there is an increased tendency for mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides fathers to physically attack model predators during the latter stages of the nesting cycles (Gibson and Moehrenshlager 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gibson and Moehrenshlager 2008; Hogstad 2005; Rytkönen et al 1993). In support of this idea, there is an increased tendency for mountain bluebird Sialia currucoides fathers to physically attack model predators during the latter stages of the nesting cycles (Gibson and Moehrenshlager 2008). If paternal investment is primarily comprised of non-feeding behaviors at the fledgling stage, then the costs (Siefferman and Hill 2008) and benefits of selective feeding are low and a paternal strategy of assessing maternal ornaments to optimize feeding decisions might not have evolved.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex-biased parental investment is correlated with mate ornamentation in eastern bluebirds

Ligon

Hill

2010

Animal Behaviour

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Males typically have greater variance in reproductive success than females, so mothers should benefit by producing sons under favorable conditions. Being paired with a better-than-average mate is one such favorable circumstance. High-quality fathers can improve conditions for their offspring by providing good genes, good resources, or both, so females paired to such males should invest preferentially in sons. Ornamentation has been linked to male quality in many birds and, in support of differential allocation theory, females of several avian species invest more in entire broods when paired to attractive mates. Additionally, the females of some bird species apparently manipulate the primary sex-ratio of their broods in relation to the attractiveness of their mates. However, empirical support for a link between mate ornamentation and preferential feeding of sons (another form of biased investment) is lacking. We tested for correlations between sex-biased parental investment and mate plumage colour in the eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis), a species in which juveniles have sexually dichromatic UV-blue plumage. We found that the proportion of maternal feeding attempts to fledgling sons (versus fledgling daughters) was positively correlated with structurally coloured plumage ornamentation of fathers. Additionally, paternal feeding attempts to sons were correlated with plumage ornamentation of mothers and increased in fathers exhibiting breast plumage characteristics typical of older males. These results provide further support for the idea that parental strategies are influenced by mate attractiveness and provide the first evidence that mate ornamentation can influence parental behavior even after offspring have left the nest. Keywordssex-ratio; parental behavior; resource allocation; ornaments; eastern bluebird; Sialia sialis; honest signal; plumage; colour When the benefits of producing male and female offspring vary depending on context, parents are expected to maximize reproductive success by investing differentially in sons and daughters depending on their circumstances (Trivers and Willard 1973;Charnov 1982). Differential investment in sons and daughters can occur by varying the ratio of sons and daughters produced or through differential investment of energy in sons and daughters after birth or hatching. Animals have been shown to adjust investment in sons versus daughters in relation to season Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. (Dijkstra et al. 1990;Sakisaka et al. 2000; Schultz 2008), diet (Bradbury andBlakey 1998;Opit & Throne 2008), maternal ag...

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A sex difference in the behavioural response of nesting mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) to a mounted predator

Cited by 13 publications

References 23 publications

Anti-predator strategies of free-ranging Campbell's monkeys

Anti-predator strategies of free-ranging Campbell's monkeys

Reproductive correlates of plumage coloration of female Mountain Bluebirds

Sex-biased parental investment is correlated with mate ornamentation in eastern bluebirds

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