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Based on the genotyping of 97 chicks and 74 adults from 37 families we describe extra‐pair paternity (EPP), intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP), quasi‐parasitism (QP) and polygamy in the Red‐footed Falcon Falco vespertinus. The frequency of chicks resulting from EPP was 2.06% affecting 2.70% of families (two chicks, one nest), the values for IBP were 1.03% and 2.70% for offspring and families, and...
Avian brood parasites pose a serious threat to hosts, substantially reducing their fitness, which selects for the evolution of host defences. A classic example of a host frontline defence is mobbing, which frequently includes contact attacking of brood parasites. Here, we investigated how the nest defence of a very aggressive host, the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus, influences the speed...
Avian incubation investment represents a trade‐off between the energetic demands of the parent and the thermal needs of the embryo. Parental energy balance and investment in somatic maintenance relative to incubation investment can be indexed by the rate of feather growth. Feather growth rates, or ptilochronology, of adult Leach's Storm‐Petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa were used to assess parental investment...
Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus are an iconic species of long‐standing conservation concern as a result of historical patterns of persecution and dramatic pesticide‐related population declines in many populations during the second half of the 20th century. Although the role of reduced productivity in these declines is well known, the temporal patterns in survival are much less well characterized...
Tagging wildlife with transmitters is one of the most widely used techniques for research and monitoring. Knowing the possible impact of attaching transmitters to an animal has always concerned researchers; however, most assessments have been directed at the effects of transmitters on behaviour and fitness, and fewer have addressed possible injuries to the individuals. The present study evaluated...
Introduced organisms have to overcome several obstacles, including the scarcity of conspecific mates, before becoming successfully established. We recorded interspecific mating in non‐native areas (Spain) that involved Orange‐winged Amazons Amazona amazonica with three non‐congeneric parrot species: Scaly‐headed Parrot Pionus maximiliani, Rose‐ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri and Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus...
Rice fields and waterbirds are an example of a synergy that can occur between agriculture and conservation. This connection is especially relevant during the farming period, when nesting waterbirds need to obtain resources to cover their energy requirements and those of their chicks in rice fields. However, new farming techniques may potentially put fulfilling this role at risk. Studies on how species...
The nestlings of many bird species have ornaments in their mouths, yet the within‐species function of these ornaments remains relatively little studied compared with adult ornaments. Here, we describe the pattern of variation in the tongue spots of Dunnock Prunella modularis nestlings and evaluate their potential influence on parental allocation. We observed that some nestlings hatch with a third...
Ambient temperature is assumed to be the major cue used by passerines to synchronize their laying and hatching dates to the expected peak of prey availability. While laying eggs, females are still able to fine‐tune their hatching date following increasing or decreasing patterns of ambient temperature, mostly via changes in incubation onset. The onset of incubation behaviour in relation to the laying...
Within‐population variation in timing of breeding may be linked to a trade‐off between the risks and benefits of breeding earlier. This trade‐off may be mediated by individual risk‐taking behaviour, but this needs to be assessed in detail in wild populations. Here, we recorded timing of breeding and risk‐taking behaviour during three consecutive breeding seasons in a resident population of Thorn‐tailed...
Life‐history theory predicts that hosts may adjust the costs of parasites by altering their reproductive effort. Haemosporidian parasites can affect the reproductive output of wild birds in multiple ways. Thorn‐tailed Rayaditos Aphrastura spinicauda breeding in Navarino Island, southern Chile (55°–40°S), experience a high prevalence of the haemosporidian Leucocytozoon spp., which opens the possibility...
Reliable estimates of nest‐switching are required to study avian mating systems and manage wild populations, yet different estimation methods have rarely been integrated or assessed. Through a literature review and case study, we reveal that three common methods for assessing nest‐switching blend different components, producing a wide range of estimates. Careful component definition and reporting...
Mothers may produce more of one sex to maximize their fitness if there are differences in the cost of producing each sex or there are differences in their relative reproductive value. Breeding date and clutch size are known to influence offspring sex ratios in birds through sex differences in dispersal, social behaviours, differential mortality and available food resources. We tested whether breeding...
The environment experienced during development is a key factor determining intraspecific variation in postnatal growth. In sexually size‐dimorphic species, the larger sex typically grows at a higher absolute rate and consequently is more sensitive or vulnerable to restrictive environments. In addition, this sensitivity can be intrinsic when it is caused by physiological disadvantages of the larger...
It is likely that there will continue to be a substantial increase in the number of wind turbines as we aim to meet global energy demands through renewable sources. However, these structures can have adverse impacts on airborne wildlife, such as posing a potential collision risk with the turbine structure. A range of methods and technologies have been applied to the collection of bird flight parameters,...
Species that are constantly exposed to disturbances, such as human disturbance or non‐lethal contacts with predators or conspecifics, can experience chronic stress. Within a species range, variation in the frequency and predictability of such disturbances can lead to population differences in stress responses. Here, we investigated the stress response of Little Penguins Eudyptula minor to an introduced...
Birds use social as well as environmental cues to inform their habitat selection decisions. By manipulating social cues with song playbacks, biologists can influence where individuals search for breeding territories, which could be useful for conservation. Yet before we can predict how birds will respond to playback treatments, we must first understand how they integrate social cues with information...
Recent climatic variation has led to a change in size or mass in some species. The Black‐vented Shearwater Puffinus opisthomelas is endemic to the California Current System, a highly variable system, giving us cues as to the effects of interannual variability on predators. Here, we report the results of a comparison of biometrics measurement in the short term, 4 years, with different environmental...
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