Breeding in Three Species of Fairy-Wrens (<i>Malurus</i>): Do Helpers Really Help?

Tidemann, Sonia C.

doi:10.1071/mu9860131

Cited by 35 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Extra-pair copulations are common, and about 90% of all nests contain at least one offspring sired by another male (Mulder et al 1994;Dunn and Cockburn 1998). Females are uniparental incubators, and are usually the dominant feeder (Bradley and Bradley 1958;Tidemann 1986), while males have a bigger role in territory defence (Nias 1987). However, all males provide care to the nestlings (Rowley 1957(Rowley , 1965Mulder et al 1994;Green et al 1995).…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Video nest monitoring reveals male coloration-dependant nest predation and sex differences in prey size delivery in a bird under high sexual selection

Colombelli‐Négrel

Kleindorfer

2009

J Ornithol

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Increased predation risk should select for reduced parental activity to decrease the probability of visually hunting predators discovering the nest. Parental activity and conspicuousness are known to increase predation risk. Here, we test for sex differences in parental visitation rate (number of visits), time seen at the nest (time at the nest 9 adult visibility), and food delivery (prey size) using continuous video recordings at nests. We test the role of these variables for predation outcome in the Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). The study species is sexually dimorphic: males have iridescent blue plumage while females have brown plumage. The results showed that nest predation was predicted by male time seen at the nest (but not visitation rate), but not female time seen at the nest (or visitation rate). Contrary to our expectation that males would have lower visitation rates than females, our analysis of video images showed that male and female visitation was comparable but that males consistently brought smaller prey items to the nest than females. These findings are discussed in the light of morphological differences between male and female beak size. We conclude that sexual selection has favoured conspicuous male signalling in this system, and that natural selection should select for reduced parental care for the conspicuous sex.

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Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Video nest monitoring reveals male coloration-dependant nest predation and sex differences in prey size delivery in a bird under high sexual selection

Colombelli‐Négrel

Kleindorfer

2009

J Ornithol

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“…Extra-pair copulations are common, and about 90% of all nests contain at least one offspring sired by another male (Mulder et al 1994;Dunn and Cockburn 1998). Females are uniparental incubators, and are usually the dominant feeder (Bradley and Bradley 1958;Tidemann 1986), while males have a bigger role in territory defense (Nias 1987). However, all males provide care to the nestlings (Rowley 1957(Rowley , 1965Mulder et al 1994;Green et al 1995).…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest height, nest concealment, and predator type predict nest predation in superb fairy‐wrens (Malurus cyaneus)

Colombelli‐Négrel

Kleindorfer

2008

Ecological Research

112

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Three factors and their interaction effects are increasingly recognized as important determinants of nest predation: nest concealment, nest height, and predator type. The risk of nest predation is predicted to vary across these variables because of nest detectability and accessibility. In general, however, few studies examine how these three variables interact in relation to nest predation, focusing instead on either nest concealment or nest height (whereby predator identity is usually not known). In this study, we examine the role of nest concealment and nest height for nest survival using both artificial and natural nests in the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). We indirectly identified potential predators through marks left on artificial eggs and footprints left on tracking tunnels. Predation level at artificial nests was lower than at natural nests, and this could be due to a failure of some nest predators to locate cryptic nests in the absence of cues provided by parental activity. Our results supported the prediction that exposed and concealed nests have different levels of nest predation, which can be explained by variation in predator type. Visual predators were only detected at exposed nests, and survival from visual predators was lower for high nests that were also exposed. However, olfactory predators were detected irrespective of nest height or nest concealment. Because rodents use olfaction to locate nests, this could explain the lack of association between nest concealment and predation outcome at low nests. In addition, rodent footmarks near nests were significantly associated with rodent tooth marks on eggs.

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“…In our study site, superb fairy-wrens built domed nests between 5 and 120 cm off the ground (Colombelli-Négrel and Kleindorfer 2009). Females are uniparental incubators, and are usually the dominant feeder (Bradley and Bradley 1958;Tidemann 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nestling presence affects the anti-predator response of adult superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus)

2010

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Nest predation accounts for the majority of nesting failure, and hence there has been strong selection on behaviour to reduce nest predation, including patterns of nest defence. Here, we test risk-taking behaviour to experimentally placed predators in the presence or absence of nestlings. We use the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) to test the prediction that vigilance will be comparable with and without nestlings, but that alarm vocalisations will increase when nestlings are present. We found support for both predictions. Adult vigilance of predators was comparable with and without nestlings. Alarm vocalisation intensity was predicted by predator type and nestling presence, and was highest to the snake model in the presence of nestlings. These results point to selection for differentiated nest defence response in relation to predator type and the presence or absence of nestlings.

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Breeding in Three Species of Fairy-Wrens (Malurus): Do Helpers Really Help?

Cited by 35 publications

References 23 publications

Video nest monitoring reveals male coloration-dependant nest predation and sex differences in prey size delivery in a bird under high sexual selection

Video nest monitoring reveals male coloration-dependant nest predation and sex differences in prey size delivery in a bird under high sexual selection

Nest height, nest concealment, and predator type predict nest predation in superb fairy‐wrens (Malurus cyaneus)

Nestling presence affects the anti-predator response of adult superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus)

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