Carotenoid Composition of Invertebrates Consumed by Two Insectivorous Bird Species

Abstract

Dietary carotenoids are important pigments, antioxidants, and immune-stimulants for birds. Despite recent interest in carotenoids in bird ecology, we know surprisingly little about the carotenoid content of invertebrates consumed by birds. We compared carotenoid (lutein, beta-carotene, and total) concentrations in invertebrates brought to nestlings by two insectivorous passerines, the great tit, Parus major and the pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca. We also compared carotenoid levels between environments that were either polluted by heavy metals or were not polluted, because the carotenoid-based plumage color of P. major nestlings is affected by environmental pollution. Lepidopterans were the most carotenoid-rich food items and contained the largest proportion of lutein. There were no differences in carotenoid concentrations in the food items of the two bird species but P. major nestlings obtained more carotenoids from their invertebrate diet than F. hypoleuca nestlings because the P. major diet had a higher proportion of lepidopteran larvae. In polluted areas, P. major nestlings consumed lower levels of dietary carotenoids than in unpolluted areas because of temporal differences in caterpillar abundance between polluted and unpolluted sites. Our study suggests that pollution-related difference in nestling plumage color in P. major is related to varying dietary proportion of lutein-rich food items rather than pollution-related variation in insect carotenoid levels.

Prey choice, provisioning behaviour, and effects of early nutrition on nestling phenotype of titmice

“…Along these lines, we have shown previously that to feed young with one or the other type of caterpillar is not a trivial matter from the point of view of the offspring . In this sense, recent studies (Arnold et al, 2010;Eeva et al, 2010) have shown that lepidopteran larvae can differ greatly in their concentration of carotenoids (antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin, β-carotene). On the basis of their appearance and the birds' preference, it is likely that noctuids (caterpillars with a greater amount of tissue) possess a higher caloric content in comparison with tortricid larvae, whose aspect is less consistent (watery guts) and nutritive.…”

The role of the antioxidant system during intense endurance exercise: lessons from migrating birds

“…Dietary antioxidants can be sorted into two broad groups based on their chemical solubility, which also relates to whether they can be stored by consumers for later use: lipophilic antioxidants (vitamin E or carotenoids) can be stored, whereas hydrophilic antioxidants (vitamin C or polyphenols) cannot be stored in the long term (Halliwell and Gutteridge, 2007;Johnson and Hill, 2013). Birds acquire exogenous antioxidants by consuming foods including seeds Cohen et al, 2008), insects (Catoni et al, 2008b;Eeva et al, 2010), leaves (Catoni et al, 2008b) and fruits Bolser et al, 2013;Cohen and McGraw, 2009). As many songbirds switch to a diet consisting almost exclusively of fruit during migration (e.g.…”

Darker eggshell spotting indicates lower yolk antioxidant level and poorer female quality in the Eurasian Great Tit (Parus major)

“…Females that lay smaller clutches may have lower intrinsic quality or they may breed in poorer-quality territories and thus they may be exposed to lower food availability, insufficient for laying more eggs in a clutch (Minot 1981, Perrins andMcCleery 1989). Female Great Tits consume high numbers of caterpillars during the breeding period (Török 1986), which are rich in dietary antioxidants (Arnold et al 2010, Eeva et al 2010. We may thus assume that females with a lower availability of antioxidant-rich food laid smaller clutches and possibly also possessed a less efficient antioxidant capacity during the laying period.…”