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Hartman CA, Ackerman JT, Peterson SH, Fettig B, Casazza M, Herzog MP. Nest attendance, incubation constancy, and onset of incubation in dabbling ducks. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286151. [PMID: 37205693 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In birds, parents must provide their eggs with a safe thermal environment suitable for embryonic development. Species with uniparental incubation must balance time spent incubating eggs with time spent away from the nest to satisfy self-maintenance needs. Patterns of nest attendance, therefore, influence embryonic development and the time it takes for eggs to hatch. We studied nest attendance (time on the nest), incubation constancy (time nests were at incubation temperatures), and variation in nest temperature of 1,414 dabbling duck nests of three species in northern California. Daily nest attendance increased from only 1-3% on the day the first egg was laid to 51-57% on the day of clutch completion, and 80-83% after clutch completion through hatch. Variation in nest temperature also decreased gradually during egg-laying, and then dropped sharply (33-38%) between the day of and the day after clutch completion because increased nest attendance, particularly at night, resulted in more consistent nest temperatures. During the egg-laying stage, nocturnal nest attendance was low (13-25%), whereas after clutch completion, nest attendance was greater at night (≥87%) than during the day (70-77%) because most incubation recesses occurred during the day. Moreover, during egg-laying, nest attendance and incubation constancy increased more slowly among nests with larger final clutch sizes, suggesting that the number of eggs remaining to be laid is a major driver of incubation effort during egg-laying. Although overall nest attendance after clutch completion was similar among species, the average length of individual incubation bouts was greatest among gadwall (Mareca strepera; 779 minutes), followed by mallard (Anas platyrhynchos; 636 minutes) and then cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera; 347 minutes). These results demonstrate that dabbling ducks moderate their incubation behavior according to nest stage, nest age, time of day, and clutch size and this moderation likely has important implications for egg development and overall nest success.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Alex Hartman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California, United States of America
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California, United States of America
| | - Sarah H Peterson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California, United States of America
| | - Brady Fettig
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California, United States of America
| | - Mike Casazza
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California, United States of America
| | - Mark P Herzog
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California, United States of America
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Meyer N, Bollache L, Galipaud M, Moreau J, Dechaume-Moncharmont FX, Afonso E, Angerbjörn A, Bêty J, Brown G, Ehrich D, Gilg V, Giroux MA, Hansen J, Lanctot R, Lang J, Latty C, Lecomte N, McKinnon L, Kennedy L, Reneerkens J, Saalfeld S, Sabard B, Schmidt NM, Sittler B, Smith P, Sokolov A, Sokolov V, Sokolova N, van Bemmelen R, Varpe Ø, Gilg O. Behavioural responses of breeding arctic sandpipers to ground-surface temperature and primary productivity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:142485. [PMID: 33039934 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Most birds incubate their eggs, which requires time and energy at the expense of other activities. Birds generally have two incubation strategies: biparental where both mates cooperate in incubating eggs, and uniparental where a single parent incubates. In harsh and unpredictable environments, incubation is challenging due to high energetic demands and variable resource availability. We studied the relationships between the incubation behaviour of sandpipers (genus Calidris) and two environmental variables: temperature and a proxy of primary productivity (i.e. NDVI). We investigated how these relationships vary between incubation strategies and across species among strategies. We also studied how the relationship between current temperature and incubation behaviour varies with previous day's temperature. We monitored the incubation behaviour of nine sandpiper species using thermologgers at 15 arctic sites between 2016 and 2019. We also used thermologgers to record the ground surface temperature at conspecific nest sites and extracted NDVI values from a remote sensing product. We found no relationship between either environmental variables and biparental incubation behaviour. Conversely, as ground-surface temperature increased, uniparental species decreased total duration of recesses (TDR) and mean duration of recesses (MDR), but increased number of recesses (NR). Moreover, small species showed stronger relationships with ground-surface temperature than large species. When all uniparental species were combined, an increase in NDVI was correlated with higher mean duration, total duration and number of recesses, but relationships varied widely across species. Finally, some uniparental species showed a lag effect with a higher nest attentiveness after a warm day while more recesses occurred after a cold day than was predicted based on current temperatures. We demonstrate the complex interplay between shorebird incubation strategies, incubation behaviour, and environmental conditions. Understanding how species respond to changes in their environment during incubation helps predict their future reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Meyer
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France; Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France.
| | - Loïc Bollache
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France; Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France
| | - Matthias Galipaud
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Moreau
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France; Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Equipe Ecologie-Evolution, UMR 6282 Biogéosciences, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
| | | | - Eve Afonso
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France
| | - Anders Angerbjörn
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joël Bêty
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, Canada
| | - Glen Brown
- Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dorothée Ehrich
- Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Vladimir Gilg
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France
| | - Marie-Andrée Giroux
- K.-C.-Irving Research Chair in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development, Département de Chimie et de Biochimie, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, Canada
| | - Jannik Hansen
- Arctic Research Centre and Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Richard Lanctot
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Johannes Lang
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France; Working Group for Wildlife Research at the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Christopher Latty
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology and Centre d'Études Nordiques, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, Canada
| | - Laura McKinnon
- Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, York University Glendon Campus, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lisa Kennedy
- Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology, Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Utrecht University, Texel, the Netherlands
| | - Sarah Saalfeld
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Brigitte Sabard
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France
| | - Niels M Schmidt
- Arctic Research Centre and Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Benoît Sittler
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France; Chair for Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paul Smith
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Aleksander Sokolov
- Arctic Research Station of Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 629400, Zelenaya Gorka Str., 21 Labytnangi, Russia
| | - Vasiliy Sokolov
- Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Natalia Sokolova
- Arctic Research Station of Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 629400, Zelenaya Gorka Str., 21 Labytnangi, Russia
| | | | - Øystein Varpe
- The University Centre in Svalbard, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 5006 Bergen, Norway; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25000 Besançon, France; Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, 21440 Francheville, France
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Higgott CG, Evans KL, Hatchwell BJ. Incubation in a Temperate Passerine: Do Environmental Conditions Affect Incubation Period Duration and Hatching Success? Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.542179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Meyer N, Bollache L, Dechaume‐Moncharmont F, Moreau J, Afonso E, Angerbjörn A, Bêty J, Ehrich D, Gilg V, Giroux M, Hansen J, Lanctot RB, Lang J, Lecomte N, McKinnon L, Reneerkens J, Saalfeld ST, Sabard B, Schmidt NM, Sittler B, Smith P, Sokolov A, Sokolov V, Sokolova N, van Bemmelen R, Gilg O. Nest attentiveness drives nest predation in arctic sandpipers. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Meyer
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray FR‐25000 Besançon France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | - Loïc Bollache
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray FR‐25000 Besançon France
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | | | - Jérôme Moreau
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
- Biogéosciences, Équipe Ecologie‐Evolution, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Dijon France
| | - Eve Afonso
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray FR‐25000 Besançon France
| | | | - Joël Bêty
- Dépt de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie and Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Univ. du Québec à Rimouski Rimouski QC Canada
| | | | - Vladimir Gilg
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | - Marie‐Andrée Giroux
- K.‐C.‐Irving Research Chair in Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development, Dépt de Chimie et de Biochimie, Univ. de Moncton Moncton NB Canada
| | - Jannik Hansen
- Arctic Research Centre and Dept of Bioscience, Aarhus Univ. Roskilde Denmark
| | - Richard B. Lanctot
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage AK USA
| | - Johannes Lang
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
- Working Group for Wildlife Research at the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig Univ. Giessen Giessen Germany
| | - Nicolas Lecomte
- Canada Research Chair in Polar and Boreal Ecology, Univ. de Moncton Moncton NB Canada
| | - Laura McKinnon
- Dept of Multidisciplinary Studies, York Univ. Glendon Campus Toronto ON Canada
| | - Jeroen Reneerkens
- Groningen Inst. for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Univ. of Groningen Groningen the Netherlands
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Inst. for Sea Research, Dept of Coastal Systems and Utrecht Univ., Den Burg Texel the Netherlands
| | - Sarah T. Saalfeld
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage AK USA
| | - Brigitte Sabard
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
| | - Niels M. Schmidt
- Arctic Research Centre and Dept of Bioscience, Aarhus Univ. Roskilde Denmark
| | - Benoît Sittler
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique Francheville France
- Chair for Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Univ. of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Paul Smith
- Environment and Climate Change Canada Ottawa ON Canada
| | - Aleksandr Sokolov
- Arctic Research Station of Inst. of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences Labytnangi Russia
| | - Vasiliy Sokolov
- Inst. of Plant and Animal Ecology of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences Ekaterinburg Russia
| | - Natalia Sokolova
- Arctic Research Station of Inst. of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences Labytnangi Russia
| | - Rob van Bemmelen
- Wageningen Marine Research IJmuiden the Netherlands
- Bureau Waardenburg Culemborg the Netherlands
| | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 Chrono‐environnement, Univ. de Bourgogne Franche‐Comté 16 route de Gray FR‐25000 Besançon France
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5
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Hitchcock DJ, Andersen T, Varpe Ø, Loonen MJJE, Warner NA, Herzke D, Tombre IM, Griffin LR, Shimmings P, Borgå K. Potential Effect of Migration Strategy on Pollutant Occurrence in Eggs of Arctic Breeding Barnacle Geese ( Branta leucopsis). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:5427-5435. [PMID: 30938990 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Arctic-breeding geese acquire resources for egg production from overwintering grounds, spring stopover sites and breeding grounds, where pollutant exposure may differ. We investigated the effect of migration strategy on pollutant occurrence of lipophilic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and protein-associated poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and mercury (Hg) in eggs of herbivorous barnacle geese ( Branta leucopsis) from an island colony on Svalbard. Stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in eggs and vegetation collected along the migration route were similar. Pollutant concentrations in eggs were low, reflecting their terrestrial diet (∑PCB = 1.23 ± 0.80 ng/g ww; ∑PFAS = 1.21 ± 2.97 ng/g ww; Hg = 20.17 ± 7.52 ng/g dw). PCB concentrations in eggs increased with later hatch date, independent of lipid content which also increased over time. Some females may remobilize and transfer more PCBs to their eggs, by delaying migration several weeks, relying on more polluted and stored resources, or being in poor body condition when arriving at the breeding grounds. PFAS and Hg occurrence in eggs did not change throughout the breeding season, suggesting migration has a greater effect on lipophilic pollutants. Pollutant exposure during offspring production in arctic-breeding migrants may result in different profiles, with effects becoming more apparent with increasing trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom Andersen
- Department of Biosciences , University of Oslo , 0316 Oslo , Norway
| | - Øystein Varpe
- Department of Arctic Biology , University Centre in Svalbard , 9171 Longyearbyen , Norway
- Akvaplan-niva , Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø , Norway
| | | | - Nicholas A Warner
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research , Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø , Norway
| | - Dorte Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research , Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø , Norway
| | - Ingunn M Tombre
- Department of Arctic Ecology , Norwegian Institute for Nature Research , Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø , Norway
| | - Larry R Griffin
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust , Caerlaverock Wetland Centre , Dumfriesshire DG1 4RS , United Kingdom
| | | | - Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences , University of Oslo , 0316 Oslo , Norway
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6
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Hartman CA, Ackerman JT, Herzog MP. Mercury Exposure and Altered Parental Nesting Behavior in a Wild Songbird. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:5396-5405. [PMID: 30924331 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b07227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury is a neurotoxin and endocrine disruptor and may impair avian reproduction directly through embryotoxicity or by altering parental care behaviors. We studied mercury exposure and incubation behavior of free-living tree swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor) nesting in artificial nest boxes. Using small temperature dataloggers, we measured incubation constancy (the proportion of each day the female spent incubating eggs), the number of incubation recesses taken per day, and the duration of incubation recesses. We also assessed maternal mercury exposure by measuring mercury concentrations in both blood and eggs. Females with higher mercury concentrations exhibited lower incubation constancy, took more frequent and shorter incubation recesses, and were more likely to take incubation recesses that caused nest temperature decreases that were likely to slow embryonic development. Overall, females that laid eggs with the highest observed mercury concentration (0.53 μg/g fww) spent an average of 12% less time incubating their eggs over the 14-day incubation period than females that laid eggs with the lowest mercury concentration (0.07 μg/g fww). Because less time spent incubating can lower egg temperatures, slow embryonic development, and potentially lengthen the incubation period, these results suggest that environmentally relevant mercury concentrations may negatively influence reproduction by altering parental nesting behaviors of wild songbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Alex Hartman
- U.S. Geological Survey , Western Ecological Research Center , Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D , Dixon , California 95620 , United States
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey , Western Ecological Research Center , Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D , Dixon , California 95620 , United States
| | - Mark P Herzog
- U.S. Geological Survey , Western Ecological Research Center , Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D , Dixon , California 95620 , United States
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Jean-Gagnon F, Legagneux P, Gilchrist G, Bélanger S, Love OP, Bêty J. The impact of sea ice conditions on breeding decisions is modulated by body condition in an arctic partial capital breeder. Oecologia 2017; 186:1-10. [PMID: 29143150 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-4002-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Determining how environmental conditions interact with individual intrinsic properties is important for unravelling the underlying mechanisms that drive variation in reproductive decisions among migratory species. We investigated the influence of sea ice conditions and body condition at arrival on the breeding propensity, i.e. the decision to reproduce or not within a single breeding season, and timing of laying in migrating common eiders (Somateria mollissima) breeding in the Arctic. Using Radarsat satellite images acquired from 2002 to 2013, we estimated the proportion of open water in the intertidal zone in early summer to track the availability of potential foraging areas for pre-breeding females. Timing of ice-breakup varied by up to 20 days across years and showed strong relationship with both breeding propensity and the timing of laying of eiders: fewer pre-breeding individuals were resighted nesting in the colony and laying was also delayed in years with late ice-breakup. Interestingly, the effect of sea ice dynamics on reproduction was modulated by the state of individuals at arrival on the breeding grounds: females arriving in low condition were more affected by a late ice-breakup. Open water accessibility in early summer, a likely proxy of food availability, is thus crucial for reproductive decisions in a (partial) capital breeder. Our predictive capacity in determining how Arctic-breeding seabirds respond to changes in environmental conditions will require incorporating such cross-seasonal cumulative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frankie Jean-Gagnon
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada. .,Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Drive, RavenRoad, Ottawa, ON, K1A OH3, Canada.
| | - P Legagneux
- Département de BIOLOGIE, Géographie et Chimie et Centre D'études Nordique, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée Des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - G Gilchrist
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Drive, RavenRoad, Ottawa, ON, K1A OH3, Canada
| | - S Bélanger
- Département de BIOLOGIE, Géographie et Chimie et Centre D'études Nordique, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée Des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - O P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - J Bêty
- Département de BIOLOGIE, Géographie et Chimie et Centre D'études Nordique, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 Allée Des Ursulines, Rimouski, QC, G5L 3A1, Canada
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DuRant SE, Hopkins WA, Carter AW, Stachowiak CM, Hepp GR. Incubation Conditions Are More Important in Determining Early Thermoregulatory Ability than Posthatch Resource Conditions in a Precocial Bird. Physiol Biochem Zool 2013; 86:410-20. [DOI: 10.1086/671128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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DuRant SE, Hopkins WA, Hepp GR, Walters JR. Ecological, evolutionary, and conservation implications of incubation temperature-dependent phenotypes in birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2013; 88:499-509. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2012] [Revised: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - William A. Hopkins
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation; Virginia Tech; Blacksburg; VA; 24061; USA
| | - Gary R. Hepp
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences; Auburn University; Auburn; AL; 36849; USA
| | - J. R. Walters
- Department of Biological Sciences; Virginia Tech; Blacksburg; VA; 24061; USA
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Nord A, Nilsson JÅ. Incubation temperature affects growth and energy metabolism in blue tit nestlings. Am Nat 2011; 178:639-51. [PMID: 22030733 DOI: 10.1086/662172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Because the maintenance of proper developmental temperatures during avian incubation is costly to parents, embryos of many species experience pronounced variation in incubation temperature. However, the effects of such temperature variation on nestling development remain relatively unexplored. To investigate this, we artificially incubated wild blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus L.) clutches at 35.0°, 36.5°, or 38.0°C for two-thirds of the incubation period. We returned clutches to their original nests before hatching and subsequently recorded nestling growth and resting metabolic rate. The length of the incubation period decreased with temperature, whereas hatching success increased. Nestlings from the lowest incubation temperature group had shorter tarsus lengths at 2 weeks of age, but body mass and wing length were not affected by temperature. In addition, nestlings from the lowest temperature group had a significantly higher resting metabolic rate compared with mid- and high-temperature nestlings, which may partly explain observed size differences between the groups. These findings suggest that nest microclimate can influence nestling phenotype, but whether observed differences carry over to later life-history stages remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Ecology Building, Lund University, Sweden.
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Reneerkens J, Grond K, Schekkerman H, Tulp I, Piersma T. Do uniparental sanderlings Calidris alba increase egg heat input to compensate for low nest attentiveness? PLoS One 2011; 6:e16834. [PMID: 21347377 PMCID: PMC3036718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2010] [Accepted: 01/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds breeding in cold environments regularly have to interrupt incubation to forage, causing a trade-off between two mutually exclusive behaviours. Earlier studies showed that uniparental Arctic sandpipers overall spend less time incubating their eggs than biparental species, but interspecific differences in size and ecology were potential confounding factors. This study reports on a within-species comparison of breeding schedules and metal egg temperatures in uni- and biparental sanderlings (Calidris alba) in Northeast Greenland in relation to ambient temperature. We recorded incubation schedules with nest temperature loggers in 34 sanderling clutches (13 uniparentals, 21 biparentals). The temperature of a metal egg placed within the clutch of 17 incubating birds (6 uniparentals, 9 biparentals) was measured as an indicator of the heat put into eggs. Recess frequency, recess duration and total recess time were higher in uniparentals than in biparentals and positively correlated with ambient temperatures in uniparentals only. Uniparental sanderlings maintained significantly higher metal egg temperatures during incubation than biparentals (1.4°C difference on average). Our results suggest that uniparental sanderlings compensate for the lower nest attendance, which may prolong the duration of the incubation period and negatively affect the condition of the hatchlings, by maintaining a higher heat flux into the eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Reneerkens
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Animal Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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DuRant SE, Hepp GR, Moore IT, Hopkins BC, Hopkins WA. Slight differences in incubation temperature affect early growth and stress endocrinology of wood duck (Aix sponsa) ducklings. J Exp Biol 2010; 213:45-51. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.034488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Early developmental experiences, such as incubation conditions, can have important consequences for post-hatching fitness in birds. Although the effects of incubation temperature on phenotype of avian hatchlings are poorly understood, recent research suggests that subtle changes in incubation conditions can influence hatchling characteristics, including body size and condition. We designed an experiment to explore the effects of incubation temperature on hatching success, survival to 9 days post hatch, growth and the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis in wood ducks (Aix sponsa). Wood duck eggs were collected from nest boxes and experimentally incubated at three temperatures (35.0, 35.9 and 37.0°C), each falling within the range of temperatures of naturally incubated wood duck nests. Survival and growth were monitored in ducklings fed ad libitum for 9 days post hatch. In addition, baseline and stress-induced plasma corticosterone concentrations were measured in 2 and 9 day old ducklings. Hatching success and survival to 9 days was greatest in ducks incubated at the intermediate temperature. Ducklings incubated at 35.9°C and 37.0°C had 43% higher growth rates than ducklings incubated at 35.0°C. In addition, ducklings incubated at 35.0°C had higher baseline (17–50%) and stress-induced (32–84%) corticosterone concentrations than ducklings incubated at 35.9°C and 37.0°C at 2 and 9 days post hatch. We also found a significant negative correlation between body size and plasma corticosterone concentrations (baseline and stress-induced) in 9 day old ducklings. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that thermal conditions experienced during embryonic development can influence the HPA axis of young birds. Our results illustrate that subtle changes (<1.0°C) in the incubation environment can have important consequences for physiological traits important to fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. E. DuRant
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - G. R. Hepp
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - I. T. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - B. C. Hopkins
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - W. A. Hopkins
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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Harding AM, Kitaysky AS, Hall ME, Welcker J, Karnovsky NJ, Talbot SL, Hamer KC, Grémillet D. Flexibility in the parental effort of an Arctic-breeding seabird. Funct Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01488.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Ost M, Clark CW, Kilpi M, Ydenberg R. Parental Effort and Reproductive Skew in Coalitions of Brood Rearing Female Common Eiders. Am Nat 2007; 169:73-86. [PMID: 17206586 DOI: 10.1086/510213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2006] [Accepted: 06/30/2006] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Members of breeding groups face conflicts over parental effort when balancing antipredatory vigilance and feeding. Empirical evidence has shown disparate responses to manipulations of parental effort. We develop a model in which we determine the evolutionarily stable effort of partners given their body conditions, allowing the benefits of shared care to be unevenly divided, and we test this model's predictions with data on common eiders (Somateria mollissima). Eiders show uniparental female care; females may share brood rearing, or they may tend alone, and their body condition at hatching of the young shows large environmentally induced variation. The model predicts that parental effort (vigilance) in a coalition is lower than when tending alone, controlling for parental condition; this prediction is supported by the data. The parental effort in a coalition should be positively correlated with body condition, and this prediction is also supported. Finally, parental effort should increase when partner condition decreases and vice versa; this prediction is partially supported. The Nash bargaining game may provide promising avenues by which to determine the precise settlement of reproductive skew and effort between coalition partners in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Ost
- Bird Ecology Unit, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65 (Biocenter 3, Viikinkaari 1), FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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Minimal intra-seasonal dietary overlap of barnacle and pink-footed geese on their breeding grounds in Svalbard. Polar Biol 2006. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-006-0235-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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HEPP GR, KENNAMER RA, JOHNSON MH. Maternal effects in Wood Ducks: incubation temperature influences incubation period and neonate phenotype. Funct Ecol 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2006.01108.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Davis SE, Nager RG, Furness RW. FOOD AVAILABILITY AFFECTS ADULT SURVIVAL AS WELL AS BREEDING SUCCESS OF PARASITIC JAEGERS. Ecology 2005. [DOI: 10.1890/04-0989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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20
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Traylor JJ, Alisauskas RT, Kehoe FP. Nesting Ecology of White-Winged Scoters (Melanitta Fusca Deglandi) at Redberry Lake, Saskatchewan. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004. [DOI: 10.1093/auk/121.3.950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Population surveys indicate a trend of declining abundance of scoters (Melanitta spp.) in North America. Little is known about changes in life-history traits that may be responsible for the recent population decline of White-winged Scoters (Melanitta fusca deglandi). Therefore, we studied nesting ecology of White-winged Scoters at Redberry Lake, Saskatchewan, during the summers of 2000–2001. We found 198 nests and examined nest-site selection by comparing habitat features of successful nests, depredated nests, and random sites. Discriminant function analysis differentiated habitat features—measured at hatch—of successful nests, depredated nests, and random sites; lateral (r = 0.66) and overhead (r = 0.35) concealment were microhabitat variables most correlated with canonical discriminant functions. We also modeled daily survival rate of nests as a function of year, linear and quadratic trends with nest age, nest initiation date, and seven microhabitat variables. Nest survival from a time-constant model (i.e. Mayfield nest-success estimate) was 0.35 (95% CL: 0.27, 0.43). Estimates of nest success were lower than those measured at Redberry Lake in the 1970s and 1980s. Nest survival increased throughout the laying period and stabilized during incubation, and showed positive relationships with nest concealment and distance to water and a negative relationship with distance to edge. Considering those factors, a model-averaged estimate of nest survival was 0.24 (95% CL: 0.09, 0.42). We concluded that White-winged Scoters selected nesting habitat adaptively, because (1) successful sites were more concealed than depredated sites; (2) nest sites (both successful and depredated) had higher concealment than random sites; and (3) nest sites were on islands, where success is greater than on the mainland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J. Traylor
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Ray T. Alisauskas
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
- Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Center, Canadian Wildlife Service, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X4, Canada
| | - F. Patrick Kehoe
- Ducks Unlimited Canada, No. 200 10720-178 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5S 1J3, Canada
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Hübner CE, Tombre IM, Erikstad KE. Adaptive aspects of intraclutch egg-size variation in the High Arctic barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis). CAN J ZOOL 2002. [DOI: 10.1139/z02-100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The pattern of intraclutch egg-size variation in barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) clutches and its adaptive implications was studied in Svalbard, Norway, from 1989 to 1998. Egg size was measured in relation to laying sequence, egg predation and hatching order were recorded to determine hatching success of eggs in different laying sequences, and the time when incubation started was examined. Egg size showed a rather consistent pattern, with a large second-laid egg and declining egg size for the remainder of the clutch. The first-laid egg was usually smaller than the second one, except in clutches with two and three eggs. Predation was highest for the first-laid egg, and last-laid eggs hatched last in most cases, although only one last-laid egg was abandoned. Four of six females started incubation before clutch completion. Both the "nutrient-allocation hypothesis" as well as the "early incubation start hypothesis" may contribute to explaining the expressed pattern of intraclutch egg-size variation. The fitness gains due to allocating fewer nutrients to eggs in unfavourable positions in the laying sequence may explain the small size of the first egg, whereas the multiple benefits of an early incubation start may have led to the decline in egg size later in the laying sequence as a mechanism to counteract hatching asynchrony.
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Samelius G, Alisauskas RT. Deterring arctic fox predation: the role of parental nest attendance by lesser snow geese. CAN J ZOOL 2001. [DOI: 10.1139/z01-048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
High parental attendance at nests can improve nesting performance in birds by shortening the nesting period and by deterring predators that do not force birds off of nests. We examined how parental nest attendance by lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) affected (i) foraging behaviours of arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) and (ii) egg loss by geese exposed to arctic foxes at a large goose colony on Banks Island, N.W.T., Canada. Unattended nests and nests attended by single females suffered much greater egg loss to foxes than nests attended by paired geese. This resulted from foxes attacking unattended nests and single females far more frequently than expected by chance and from geese associated with such nests offering little or no resistance to foxes. Paired geese, in contrast, were avoided by foxes and also showed greater resistance to foxes than single females and unattended nests. Nest attendance by male geese can therefore be important in reducing egg loss to arctic foxes, but it may play an even greater role in reducing egg loss to arctic foxes in small colonies or during colony formation, when the ratio of predators to nests is generally high.
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Reid JM, Monaghan P, Ruxton GD. Resource allocation between reproductive phases: the importance of thermal conditions in determining the cost of incubation. Proc Biol Sci 2000; 267:37-41. [PMID: 10670950 PMCID: PMC1690493 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2000.0963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in the resources allocated to particular stages of reproduction are expected to influence allocation to, and performance in, subsequent reproductive stages. Experimental manipulation of individual investment patterns provides important evidence that such physiological trade-offs occur, and can highlight the key environmental variables that influence reproductive costs. By temporarily altering the thermal properties of starling nests, we reduced the energetic demand of first-clutch incubation, and examined the effect of this manipulation on performance during the same and the subsequent reproductive attempts. Compared with controls, starlings investing less in incubation were more successful in fledging young, and were more likely to hatch all their eggs if a subsequent reproductive attempt was made. Our results show that incubation demands can limit reproductive success, and that resources saved during incubation can be reallocated to later stages of the same reproductive attempt and to future reproductive attempts. This study also shows that small changes in thermal environment can affect breeding success by altering the energetic demands imposed on incubating parents, independently of the effect of temperature on other environmental variables such as food supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Reid
- Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Glasgow, UK.
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26
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Bonnet X, Naulleau G, Shine R, Lourdais O. What is the appropriate timescale for measuring costs of reproduction in a `capital breeder' such as the aspic viper? Evol Ecol 1999. [DOI: 10.1023/a:1006712713698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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27
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Bryan SM, Bryant DM. Heating nest–boxes reveals an energetic contraint on incubation behaviour in great tits, Parus major. Proc Biol Sci 1999. [DOI: 10.1098/rspb.1999.0616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S. M. Bryan
- Avian Ecology Unit, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - D. M. Bryant
- Avian Ecology Unit, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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Erikstad KE, Fauchald P, Tveraa T, Steen H. ON THE COST OF REPRODUCTION IN LONG-LIVED BIRDS: THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABILITY. Ecology 1998. [DOI: 10.1890/0012-9658(1998)079[1781:otcori]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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