Consistent individual variations in aggressiveness and a behavioral syndrome across breeding contexts in different environments in the Black-tailed Gull

Abstract

Individual behaviors of animals do not evolve separately but do so in association with other behaviors caused by single shared genetic or physiological constraints and/or favored by selection. Measuring behavioral syndrome which are suites of correlated behaviors across different contexts, therefore, provides better understanding of the adaptive significance of variations in behaviors. However, studies that have examined the behavioral syndrome in wild animal populations in changing environments are in the minority. We measured behavioral syndrome among anti-predator nest defense, territorial defense, chick-provisioning, and mating behavior of male Black-tailed Gulls Larus crassirostris in two successive years with different conspecific territorial intrusion risks and food conditions. Males with high levels of anti-predator nest defense (aggressive anti-predator defenders) against the decoy of crows (an egg-predator) defended their territory against conspecific intruders more frequently than did other males (non-aggressive anti-predator defenders) independently of the risk of intrusion. Aggressive anti-predator defenders also fed their chicks more frequently than non-aggressive males, but only in the year of lower food availability.Taken together, this indicates that males show consistent aggressiveness regardless of breeding context (anti-predator and territorial defense), but they can regulate food provisioning according to food availability.

Differences in boldness are repeatable and heritable in a long‐lived marine predator

“…This study is one of the first that has measured consistent behavior in seabirds under relatively controlled conditions (but see Kazama and Watanuki ; Kazama et al. ) and these estimates of boldness could now be linked to at‐sea measures of consistent behavior. Individuals vary in their association with fisheries (Votier et al.…”

“…While there are many studies examining consistent individual behavior in seabirds (e.g., Bearhop et al 2006;Jaeger et al 2010;Reviewed by Patrick et al in press), these are almost exclusively at-sea measures, where our understanding and ability to quantify the conditions experienced by individuals is poor. This study is one of the first that has measured consistent behavior in seabirds under relatively controlled conditions (but see Kazama and Watanuki 2010;Kazama et al 2012) and these estimates of boldness could now be linked to at-sea measures of consistent behavior. Individuals vary in their association with fisheries (Votier et al 2010;Torres et al 2011;Granadeiro et al 2013Granadeiro et al , 2011 and the distance they forage from the colony (Reviewed by Patrick et al in press), both of which are thought to be linked to competitive ability, and as such boldness may predict an individual's foraging strategy.…”

“…In fact, personality differences in seabirds have rarely been discussed, although there is evidence of individual differences in territory defense, suggesting variation in aggression (Furness ; Kazama and Watanuki ; Kazama et al. ). There is a large body of evidence that seabirds exhibit consistent individual foraging strategies, revealing behavioral and dietary specialization (e.g., Bearhop et al.…”

How Do Growth and Sibling Competition Affect Telomere Dynamics in the First Month of Life of Long-Lived Seabird?

“…We collected blood from the chicks at 1 and 30 days of age. Each nest was enclosed within fences sufficiently large for breeding territories to prevent any interference from neighbors, who sometimes intrude and attack chicks [38]. We analyzed data from nests in which brood size did not change from hatching to fledging.…”

Consistent individual differences in paternal behavior: a field study of three-spined stickleback

“…Fewer studies have been conducted in the field (but see Duckworth 2006; Patrick and Browning 2011; Barnett et al 2012; Kazama et al 2012; Mutzel et al 2013; Cole et al 2014; Wetzel and Westneat 2014), where there are more time and energy constraints due to few or patchy resources and predation risk. Therefore field studies might uncover constraints on the amount of care a parent can provide that are undetected in the lab.…”