Life history traits associated with low annual fecundity in a central African Parid: the Stripe-breasted Tit Parus fasciiventer

Abstract

Most Parus species live in the tropics or sub-tropics, and are likely to show life history traits associated with relatively high survival and low fecundity. Based on a 15-year study we provide the first detailed account of the life history traits of an equatorial Parid, the Great Tits) and remained with their parents for up to three years. Helpers were recorded at 61% of Stripe-breasted Tit nests, and 76% of breeding adults had helpers during at least one breeding attempt. While latitudinal comparisons often focus on clutch size, much greater disparities were thus evident in other traits, including brood provisioning, the duration of postfledging care and the incidence of cooperative breeding.

Rainfall, leafing phenology and sunrise time as potential Zeitgeber for the bimodal, dry season laying pattern of an African rain forest tit (Parus fasciiventer)

“…In most cases these events were recorded accurately to the day. Where laying dates were missed they were estimated by back-tracking from the hatching or fledging date, based on mean incubation and nestling periods (15.1 and 23.5 days; Shaw et al 2015). A high proportion of clutches were laid in December-January, with smaller numbers in October-November, preceded by a period of courtship, site selection and nest building.…”

“…A high proportion of clutches were laid in December-January, with smaller numbers in October-November, preceded by a period of courtship, site selection and nest building. Hence, 1 October was taken as the start of the breeding year (Shaw et al 2015).…”

“…Moreover, since most of Bwindi's tree and shrub species are evergreen, leaf replacement does not vary seasonally with the same amplitude or synchrony as in temperate deciduous woodlands. Consequently, seasonal peaks in the availability of caterpillars, accounting for 72 % of items provisioned to Stripe-breasted Tit broods (Shaw et al 2015), are also likely to be less pronounced than at temperate latitudes, perhaps explaining the tit's smaller brood sizes and protracted breeding pattern. At Bwindi, Stripebreasted Tits have been recorded laying in 11 calendar months, the majority of broods being raised during the two annual dry seasons (Shaw et al 2015).…”

The relationship between female brooding and male nestling provisioning: does climate underlie geographic variation in sex roles?

“…Climatic factors such as ambient temperature or precipitation during the breeding season are thought to influence the amount and form of parental care provided by each sex. However, most latitudinal and altitudinal comparisons have focused on variation in clutch size, despite there being much greater differences in behavioral traits such as nestling provisioning, post‐fledging care, or the degree of cooperative breeding (Shaw et al ). Generally, harsh or unpredictable weather conditions coupled with short periods of limited food availability, such as at high altitudes or latitudes, may favor higher overall investment in reproduction to facilitate the survival of offspring (reviewed by Hille and Cooper ).…”

The El Niño – Southern Oscillation dramatically influences the probability of reproduction and reproductive rate of a tropical forest bird

“…This suggests that skipped breeding may be adaptive and affected by life‐history characteristics such as longevity and water‐dependence (Martin and Mouton 2020). Other tropical forest species show drastically reduced numbers of nest attempts or delays in reproduction in challenging years (Frith and Frith 2001, Snetsinger et al 2005, Shaw et al 2015, Freeman 2015, Nesbitt Styrsky and Brawn 2011; but see Morton and Stutchbury 2000, Robinson et al 2000). Overall, therefore, skipped or reduced reproduction appears to be a widespread response to adverse climatic conditions in tropical birds.…”