The effect of parental condition on egg-size and reproductive success in short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris

Meathrel, Catherine E.; Bradley, J. S.; Wooller, R. D.; Skira, I. J.

doi:10.1007/bf00317665

Cited by 52 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…No significant interaction was found between sex and island, indicating that no geographical variation in the extent of sexual size dimorphism occurs. Meathrel et al (1993) found that the reproductive success of short-tailed shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) is independent of egg size, and likewise we did not find a relationship between hatching success and the size of either the female or the egg.…”

Section: Breeding Success and Nest Site Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 59%

Breeding biology of a winter-breeding procellariiform in the North Atlantic, the Macaronesian shearwater Puffinus lherminieri baroli

Fagundes¹,

Ramos

et al. 2016

Zoology

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Breeding biology of a winter-breeding procellariiform in the North Atlantic, the Macaronesian shearwater Puffinus lherminieri baroli.Zoology http://dx.doi.org/10. 1016/j.zool.2016.05.014 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.  Climatic stochasticity events have an effect on foraging and breeding success. ABSTRACTThe breeding success of burrow-nesting seabirds may be influenced by both nest site characteristics and oceanographic conditions influencing food availability at sea. In this study we describe the breeding biology of the winter-breeding Macaronesian shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri baroli), including nest site characteristics and interspecific competition. We also evaluate the possible effects of changing oceanographic conditions on breeding phenology and breeding success. The study was carried out over two breeding seasons on two islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, Cima Islet and Selvagem Grande. Oceanographic characteristics differed between years. On a regional scale, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index was low and negative in 2011, and on a local scale, birds used areas with significantly lower values of chlorophyll a concentration and significantly higher values of sea surface temperature anomalies.Hatching success was higher in 2012 than in 2011. At both colonies, egg cracking was the main cause of hatching failure, but in 2011 several eggs on Selvagem Grande were deserted. In 2012 birds laid earlier and chicks had longer wings and were heavier. At both colonies, nests that were deeper, were sheltered from prevailing winds and had small chambers and a soil substrate had a higher probability of being used successfully by the birds. Nests occupied solely by Macaronesian shearwaters were much deeper and had less volume than nests shared with other species. Our study suggests that the breeding success of Macaronesian shearwaters is strongly related to nest site characteristics and that at-sea environmental conditions exert a strong influence on reproductive parameters, with birds breeding in a poor year (evaluated in terms of lower marine productivity) laying much later and their chicks growing at a slower rate than in a good year. The influence of nest site characteristics and environmental conditions may be very important for understanding the breeding ecology of Procellariiformes and may help explain the negative population trend of Macaronesian shearwaters.

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Section: Breeding Success and Nest Site Characteristicssupporting

confidence: 59%

Breeding biology of a winter-breeding procellariiform in the North Atlantic, the Macaronesian shearwater Puffinus lherminieri baroli

Fagundes¹,

Ramos

et al. 2016

Zoology

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“…The absence of any relationship between egg size and breeding performance found in our study also agrees with other studies on Procellariforms suggesting that egg size may not influence on this fitness-related factor (Meathrel et al, 1993;Weidinger, 1996;Mougin, 1998;but see Croxall, 1992). Christians (2002) suggested that larger eggs might only confer an advantage in harsh, low-quality conditions, when females invest part of their energetic reserves laying an egg of sufficient quality (i.e.…”

supporting

confidence: 92%

Spatial variation in egg size of a top predator: Interplay of body size and environmental factors?

et al. 2008

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We found that egg size varied among local populations, an unexpected result at such a small spatial scale. Body size differences at the local population level only partially explained such differences. Blood isotope measurements also differed among local popu- lations. Values of d15 N suggested inter-population differences in trophic level, showing a similar general pattern with egg size, and suggesting a nutritional link between them whereby egg size was affected by differences in feeding resources and/or behaviour.Values of d 13 C suggested that local populations did not differ in foraging habits with respect to benthic-vs. pelagic-based food-webs. Egg size did not vary among years as did breeding performance, suggesting that a differential temporal window could affect both breeding parameters in relation to food availability. The absence of a relationship between breeding performance and egg size suggested that larger eggs might only confer an advantage during harsh conditions. Alternatively parental quality could greatly affect breeding performance. We showed that inter-population differences in egg size could be influenced by both body size and environmental factors.. * Corresponding author.

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“…In birds, only a few such studies have been performed, all on species in which the chicks are dependent upon parental feeding. Moreover, in most species studied, asynchronous hatching and variation in parental care (such as reduced feeding of some chicks) may have affected both hatching and fledging success (see Meathrel et al 1993). Waders, such as the lapwing Vanellus vanellus, are ideal in several respects for studies aimed at separating the effects of egg size and parental quality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental quality and egg size affect chick survival in a precocial bird, the lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Blomqvist¹,

Johansson²,

Götmark³

1997

Oecologia

135

101

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Effects of egg size and parental quality on lapwing Vanellus vanellus chick survival were studied in southwestern Sweden over 6 years. Chicks from large eggs were heavier at hatching and survived significantly better than those from small eggs. To control for the confounding effect of parental quality on egg size and chick survival, we performed a cross-fostering experiment during 2 years, exchanging clutches between nests with large and small eggs. In control clutches, chicks from large eggs survived better than those from small eggs, but we found no significant difference in chick survival between exchanged clutches. Thus, egg size did not affect chick survival independently of parental quality. Fledging success increased with parental age and/or experience, and with female body mass. Hence, both egg size and parental quality affect chick survival in the lapwing.

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The effect of parental condition on egg-size and reproductive success in short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris

Cited by 52 publications

References 11 publications

Breeding biology of a winter-breeding procellariiform in the North Atlantic, the Macaronesian shearwater Puffinus lherminieri baroli

Breeding biology of a winter-breeding procellariiform in the North Atlantic, the Macaronesian shearwater Puffinus lherminieri baroli

Spatial variation in egg size of a top predator: Interplay of body size and environmental factors?

Parental quality and egg size affect chick survival in a precocial bird, the lapwing Vanellus vanellus

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