Coping with stress in wild birds – the evolutionary foundations of stress responses

Dickens, Molly J.; Romero, Michael L

doi:10.1002/9781118356142.ch7

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The presence of juveniles may influence the territory defense decisions of the resident male because they provide active social support by participating in territory defense (Horrocks and Hunte 1983;Pereira 1992) or because they provide passive social support (for example vigilance), wherein their presence provides a stress-reducing effect on the adult (Frigerio et al 2003;Weiss and Kotrschal 2004;Scheiber et al 2005). Reduced stress can be beneficial in the long term, as it may increase health and survival (Dickens and Romero 2016). The supportive role provided by these juveniles may explain why they are allowed to remain on the adults' territory for up to 7 months.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of social-grouping on territorial defense behavior in the black-crested titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)

Borger

Johnson

Salazar

et al. 2020

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Status signals have evolved for individuals to avoid energetic and physical costs of resource defense. These signals reflect an individual’s competitive ability and therefore influence competitors’ decisions on how to invest in a fight. We hypothesized that the response of receivers to status signals will depend on the social context. During territorial defense, group members may provide support to a territory owner by participating in defense. We investigated whether the presence of juveniles—who group together with territorial males—alters the territorial male’s attack decisions and level of aggression in the black-crested titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus). Crest-length in this species functions as status signal. We simultaneously presented two taxidermic male models in a territory: one with an unmanipulated crest and one with a modified shortened crest. Models were presented to males that had resident juveniles cohabiting on their territory, and to males without juveniles. During intrusions, juveniles actively defended against the simulated intruders by approaching and sometimes attacking. The presence of juveniles affected how territorial males responded to the status signals of the intruders: when juveniles were present, males were more likely to first attack the model with the unmanipulated crest (i.e., longer, and more threatening), compared to males residing without juveniles. This suggests that juvenile support alters the risk-taking decision of the territorial male. To our knowledge, this is the first indication that behavioral responses to a status signal depends on the presence of supportive group members. Significance statement Status signals can indicate relative quality of animals and can therefore be used to evaluate a competitor when deciding whether or not to fight over resources. The black-crested titmouse has been shown to use its crest length as a status signal during fights over food. In our study, we assessed if this status signal is also used in territorial defense, by conducting an experiment where we presented two taxidermic male models with different crest sizes to a territorial male. We also investigated whether juvenile presence influenced which model was attacked. In trials where juveniles were present, territorial males attacked the longer crested model significantly more often than in trials where territorial males were alone. This suggests that the presence of juveniles, which help the male defend the territory, allows the male to attack the more aggressive-appearing intruder.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of social-grouping on territorial defense behavior in the black-crested titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)

Borger

Johnson

Salazar

et al. 2020

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…The acute stress response is flexible, and does not only depend on the type of stressor, but more importantly on how an individual perceives it [35]. Launching an appropriate stress response following an acute stressor is adaptive and crucial for health and survival [35], but chronical elevation of glucocorticoids imbalances the momentary beneficial components of HPA activation and results in a state where individuals no longer respond appropriately to life-threatening stimuli (reviewed in [35]). The elevated numbers of stress-related behaviours might be advantageous in the short term, for example, when being more vigilant results in fleeing faster from a potential predator, but detrimental in the long term, if higher responses of exposed goslings repeatedly lead to dispensable, energetically costly, actions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In all three tests, however, variation of Δ CORTm levels in exposed individuals was much larger relative to control goslings. Notably, the range of responses in exposed goslings did not only comprise an upregulation of CORTm but in some instances an actual downregulation, which is indicative of a more erratic, and potentially dysfunctional, stress response [7,14,35].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress behaviour and physiology of developing Arctic barnacle goslings ( Branta leucopsis ) is affected by legacy trace contaminants

et al. 2018

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Natural populations are persistently exposed to environmental pollution, which may adversely impact animal physiology and behaviour and even compromise survival. Responding appropriately to any stressor ultimately might tip the scales for survival, as mistimed behaviour and inadequate physiological responses may be detrimental. Yet effects of legacy contamination on immediate physiological and behavioural stress coping abilities during acute stress are virtually unknown. Here, we assessed these effects in barnacle goslings (Branta leucopsis) at a historical coal mine site in the Arctic. For three weeks we led human-imprinted goslings, collected from nests in unpolluted areas, to feed in an abandoned coal mining area, where they were exposed to trace metals. As control we led their siblings to feed on clean grounds. After submitting both groups to three well-established stress tests (group isolation, individual isolation, on-back restraint), control goslings behaved calmer and excreted lower levels of corticosterone metabolites. Thus, legacy contamination may decisively change stress physiology and behaviour in long-lived vertebrates exposed at a young age.

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“…The acute stress response is flexible, and does not only depend on the type of stressor, but more importantly on how an individual perceives it [35]. Launching an appropriate stress response following an acute stressor is adaptive and crucial for health and survival [35], but chronical elevation of glucocorticoids imbalances the momentary beneficial components of HPA activation and results in a state where individuals no longer respond appropriately to life-threatening stimuli (reviewed in [35]). The elevated numbers of stressrelated behaviours might be advantageous in the short term, for example, when being more vigilant results in fleeing faster from a potential predator, but detrimental in the long Table 2.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In all three tests, however, variation of D CORTm levels in exposed individuals was much larger relative to control goslings. Notably, the range of responses in exposed goslings did not only comprise an upregulation of CORTm but in some instances an actual downregulation, which is indicative of a more erratic, and potentially dysfunctional, stress response [7,14,35].…”

Section: (B) Effects Of Exposure On Cortmmentioning

confidence: 96%

Breeding in a changing Arctic: physiology and behaviour of barnacle geese

Jong¹

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Coping with stress in wild birds – the evolutionary foundations of stress responses

Cited by 3 publications

References 39 publications

The influence of social-grouping on territorial defense behavior in the black-crested titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)

The influence of social-grouping on territorial defense behavior in the black-crested titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)

Stress behaviour and physiology of developing Arctic barnacle goslings ( Branta leucopsis ) is affected by legacy trace contaminants

Breeding in a changing Arctic: physiology and behaviour of barnacle geese

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