House sparrow, Passer domesticus, parents preferentially feed nestlings with mouth colours that appear carotenoid-rich

Animal Behaviour

Volumn 78, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 767-772

  Dugas, Matthew B ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA   (United States)

Author keywords

begging; carotenoid; house sparrow; mouth colour; Passer domesticus; visual signalling

Indexed keywords

BEGGING BEHAVIOR; CAROTENOID; FITNESS; MORPHOLOGY; NESTLING; PARENT-OFFSPRING INTERACTION; PASSERINE; PREFERENCE BEHAVIOR; RESOURCE ALLOCATION; SIGNALING;

AVES; PASSER DOMESTICUS;

EID: 69249217695     PISSN: 00033472     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.07.009     Document Type: Article

References (56)

1. Andersson S., and Prager M. Quantifying colors. In: Hill G.E., and McGraw K.J. (Eds). Bird Coloration Vol. 1: Mechanisms and Measurements (2006), Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts 41-89
2. Avilés J.M., Peréz-Contreras T., Navarro C., and Soler J.J. Dark nests and conspicuousness in color patterns of nestlings of altricial birds. American Naturalist 171 (2008) 327-338
3. de Ayala R.M., Saino N., Møller A.P., and Anselmi C. Mouth coloration of nestlings covaries with offspring quality and influences parental feeding behavior. Behavioral Ecology 18 (2007) 526-534
4. Bize P., Piault R., Moureau B., and Heeb P. A UV signal of offspring condition mediates context-dependent parental favouritism. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 273 (2006) 2063-2068
5. Brown C.R., and Brown M.B. Ectoparasitism as a cost of coloniality in cliff swallows (Hirundo pyrrhonota). Ecology 67 (1986) 1206-1218
6. Burley N. Sexual selection for aesthetic traits in species with biparental care. American Naturalist 127 (1986) 415-445
7. Burley N. The differential allocation hypothesis: an experimental test. American Naturalist 132 (1988) 611-628
8. Clark Jr. G.A. Oral flanges of juvenile birds. Wilson Bulletin 81 (1969) 270-279
9. Cotton P.A., Kacelnik A., and Wright J. Chick begging as a signal: are nestlings honest?. Behavioral Ecology 7 (1996) 178-182
10. Davis J.N., Todd P.M., and Bullock S. Environment quality predicts parental provisioning decisions. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 266 (1999) 1791-1797
11. Endler J.A. On the measurement and classification of color in studies of animal color patterns. Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society 41 (1990) 315-352
12. Endler J.A. The color of light in forests and its implications. Ecological Monographs 63 (1993) 1-27
13. Ewen J.G., Thorogood R., Karadas F., and Cassey P. Condition dependence of nestling mouth colour and the effect of supplementing carotenoids on parental behaviour in the hihi (Notiomystis cincta). Oecologia 157 (2008) 361-368
14. Faul F., Erdfelder E., Lang A.G., and Buchner A. G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods 39 (2007) 175-191
15. Fitze P.S., Tschirren B., and Richner H. Life history and fitness consequences of ectoparasites. Journal of Animal Ecology 73 (2004) 216-226
16. Fox H.M., and Vevers G. The Nature of Animal Colours (1960), Macmillan, New York
17. Godfray H.C.J. Signalling of need by offspring to their parents. Nature 35 (1991) 328-330
18. Godfray H.C.J. Signalling of need between parents and young: parent-offspring conflict and sibling rivalry. American Naturalist 146 (1995) 1-24
19. Götmark F., and Ahlström M. Parental preference for red mouths of chicks in a songbird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 264 (1997) 959-962
20. Haig D. Brood reduction and optimal parental investment when offspring differ in quality. American Naturalist 136 (1990) 550-566
21. Heeb P., Schwander T., and Faoro S. Nestling detectability affects parental feeding preferences in a cavity-nesting bird. Animal Behaviour 66 (2003) 637-642
22. Helfenstein F., Berthouly A., Tanner M., Karadas F., and Richner H. Nestling begging intensity and parental effort in relation to prelaying carotenoid availability. Behavioral Ecology 19 (2008) 108-115
23. Hill G.E. Red Bird in a Brown Bag: The Function and Evolution of Colorful Plumage in the House Finch (2002), Oxford University Press, New York
24. Hill G.E. Female mate choice for ornamental coloration. In: Hill G.E., and McGraw K.J. (Eds). Bird Coloration Vol. 2: Function and Evolution (2006), Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts 137-200
25. Hunt S., Kilner R.M., Langmore N.E., and Bennett A.T.D. Conspicuous, ultraviolet-rich mouth colours in begging chicks. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 270 (2003) S25-S28
26. Jourdie V., Moureau B., Bennett A.T.D., and Heeb P. Ultraviolet reflectance by the skin of nestlings. Nature 431 (2004) 262
27. Kilner R.M. When do canary parents respond to nestling signals of need?. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 260 (1995) 343-348
28. Kilner R.M. Mouth color is a reliable signal of need in begging canary nestlings. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 264 (1997) 964-968
29. Kilner R.M. Family conflicts and the evolution of nestling mouth colour. Behaviour 136 (1999) 779-804
30. Kilner R.M., and Johnstone R.A. Begging the question: are offspring solicitation behaviours signals of need?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 12 (1997) 11-15
31. Loiseau C., Fellous S., Haussy C., Chastel O., and Sorci G. Condition-dependent effects of corticosterone on a carotenoid-based begging signal in house sparrows. Hormones and Behavior 53 (2008) 266-273
32. Lyon B.E., Eadie J.M., and Hamilton L.D. Parental favoritism selects for ornamental plumage in American coot chicks. Nature 37 (1994) 240-243
33. Mock D.W. Siblicide, parent-offspring conflict, and unequal parental investment by egrets and herons. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 20 (1987) 247-256
34. Mock D.W., and Parker G.A. The Evolution of Sibling Rivalry (1997), Oxford University Press, Oxford
35. Møller A.P., Biard C., Blount J.D., Houston D.C., Ninni P., Saino N., and Surai P.F. Carotenoid-dependent signals: indicators of foraging efficiency, immunocompetence or detoxification ability?. Avian and Poultry Biology Reviews 11 (2000) 137-159
36. Montgomerie R. Analyzing colors. In: Hill G.E., and McGraw K.J. (Eds). Bird Coloration Vol. 1: Mechanisms and Measurements (2006), Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts 90-147
37. Noble D.G., Davies N.B., Hartley D.R., and McRae S.B. The red gape of the nestling cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) is not a supernormal stimulus for three common hosts. Behaviour 136 (1999) 759-777
38. Olsen V.A., and Owens I.P.F. Costly sexual signals: are carotenoids rare, risky or required?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 13 (1998) 510-514
39. Osorio D., Miklosi A., and Gonda Z. Visual ecology and perception of coloration patterns by domestic chicks. Evolutionary Ecology 13 (1999) 673-689
40. Parker G.A., Mock D.W., and Lamey T.C. How selfish should stronger sibs be?. American Naturalist 133 (1989) 846-868
41. Pierce A.J., and Pobprasert K. A portable system for continuous monitoring of bird nests using digital video recorders. Journal of Field Ornithology 78 (2007) 322-328
42. Royle N.J., Hartley I.R., and Parker G.A. Begging for control: when are offspring solicitation behaviours honest?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 17 (2002) 434-440
43. Saino N., Ninni P., Calza S., Martinelli R., de Bernardi F., and Møller A.P. Better red than dead: carotenoid-based mouth coloration reveals infection in barn swallow nestlings. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 267 (2000) 57-61
44. Saino N., Ambrosini R., Martinelli R., Ninni P., and Møller A.P. Gape coloration reliably reflects immunocompetence of barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) nestlings. Behavioral Ecology 14 (2003) 16-22
45. Saks L., McGraw K.J., and Horak P. How feather colour reflects its carotenoid content. Functional Ecology 17 (2003) 555-561
46. von Schantz T., Bensch S., Grahn M., Hasselquist D., and Wittzell H. Good genes, oxidative stress and condition-dependent signals. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 266 (1999) 1-12
47. Schwagmeyer P.L., Mock D.W., and Parker G.A. Biparental care in house sparrows: negotiation or sealed bid?. Behavioral Ecology 13 (2002) 713-721
48. Simon A., Thomas D.W., Blondel J., Lambrechets M.M., and Perret P. Within-brood distribution of ectoparasite attacks on great tits: a test of the tasty chick hypothesis using insulin as a tracer. Oikos 102 (2003) 551-558
49. Soler J.J., Avilés J.M., Cuervo J.J., and Pérez-Contreras T. Is the relationship between colour and immune response mediated by nutritional condition in spotless starling nestlings?. Animal Behaviour 74 (2007) 1139-1145
50. Stearns S.C. The Evolution of Life Histories (1992), Oxford University Press, Oxford
51. Temme D.H. Seed size viability: a consequence of variable genetic quality among offspring?. Evolution 40 (1986) 414-417
52. Thorogood R., Kilner R.M., Karadas F., and Ewen J.G. Spectral mouth colour of nestlings changes with carotenoid availability. Functional Ecology 22 (2008) 1044-1051
53. Trivers R.L. Parent-offspring conflict. American Zoologist 14 (1974) 249-264
54. Tschirren B., Fitze P.S., and Richner H. Proximate mechanisms of variation in the carotenoid-based plumage coloration of nestling great tits (Parus major L.). Journal of Evolutionary Biology 16 (2003) 91-100
55. Tschirren B., Fitze P.S., and Richner H. Carotenoid-based nestling coloration and parental favouritism in the great tit. Oecologia 243 (2005) 477-482
56. In: Wright J., and Leonard M. (Eds). The Evolution of Begging (2002), Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht