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- Title
Plumage coloration and ornamentation as predictors of nest survival and number of young fledged in Yellow Warblers.
- Authors
Crary, Andrea L.; Rodewald, Paul G.
- Abstract
ABSTRACT Previous studies of Yellow Warblers ( Setophaga petechia) indicate that males with heavy melanin-based brown breast streaking are more territorial and obtain more extra-pair copulations than lightly streaked males that provide more parental care and are cuckolded more often. Because carotenoid-based plumage characters can also signal quality in male songbirds, we examined relationships between yellow carotenoid-based breast coloration and brown breast streaking and measures of the reproductive performance of male and female Yellow Warblers in northwestern Ohio from April to June 2007-2008. We used an information theoretic approach to examine relationships between reproductive measures (daily nest survival rate and number of young fledged) and brown breast streaking, yellow breast coloration, extent of prealternate wing molt, age, year, and first-egg date. Males with paler yellow breast plumage (Beta hat =-0.213) and those with more brown breast streaking (Beta hat =-0.000036) fledged fewer young, but we found no associations between number of young fledged per male and age, year, or extent of prealternate wing molt. In addition, none of the measured variables was associated with the number of young fledged per female. Age was positively associated with daily nest survival rates for male Yellow Warblers (Beta hat = 1.127), but we found no association between daily nest survival rate and brown breast streaking, yellow breast coloration, extent of prealternate wing molt, age, year, and first-egg date. None of the measured variables was associated with daily nest survival for females (null model was top-ranked). Because brown breast streaking and the intensity of yellow breast coloration of male Yellow Warblers were negatively related to number of young fledged, we suggest that these plumage characteristics function differently in male-female and male-male interactions; yellow breast coloration signals age and reproductive experience, whereas brown breast streaking signals degree of territoriality or parental care.
- Subjects
YELLOW warbler; COLOR of birds; FEATHERS; NESTS; MELANINS; SONGBIRDS
- Publication
Journal of Field Ornithology, 2012, Vol 83, Issue 2, p130
- ISSN
0273-8570
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1557-9263.2012.00363.x