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Limited dispersal by large juvenile males leads to kin-structured neighborhoods in the black-crested titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)

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Abstract

Dispersal of young from natal home ranges can result in gene flow and increased variation within populations. However, juveniles that remain near kin and form familial groups can accrue indirect fitness benefits. Between 2013 and 2015, we studied families (n = 34) of black-crested titmice (Baeolophus atricristatus) in central Texas to assess factors affecting juvenile dispersal. Our results suggest that males of greater mass relative to siblings tended to be more philopatric than smaller males or females of any size. Dispersal of juveniles was not affected by home range size of the territorial male, habitat composition of the home range (percent woodland cover), or date in which young fledged the nest. Interactions between neighboring groups of related titmice were more tolerant than interactions between unrelated groups. In most cases, retained male juveniles established territories adjacent to their natal home range, likely increasing their fitness by saving energy through tolerant interactions with kin.

Significance statement

Certain species form family groups that provide additional fitness benefits to related individuals. However, not all kin-structured organisms respond to the same factors that enable the persistence of family-dominated populations. We examined factors that could influence the limited dispersal behavior of the black-crested titmouse, Baeolophus atricristatus, in central Texas. Limited dispersal occurs when a juvenile disperses a short distance (< 400 m) and establishes a territory adjacent to its natal home range the following year. In the black-crested titmouse, sex and mass of juveniles greatly influence limiting dispersing individuals, typically with the heaviest male juveniles exhibiting philopatry. Thus, overtime, kin-structured neighborhoods develop, allowing related family groups to spare energetically taxing aggressive behaviors and instead forage passively near one another.

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Data availability

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Freeman Center staff (Chris Thomas and Stacey Allbritton) for providing service and logistics for this 3-year project, and to Sarah Harrod and the Texas Bluebird Society for providing the nestboxes and laying down the groundwork. We also thank graduate students Anna Matthews, Sarah Durham, and Amanda Haverland for their labor of love volunteering in the field, and to Christina Farrell for assisting with the banding of hundreds of baby titmice. We thank Dr. Butch Weckerly, Dr. Adam Duarte, and Dr. Daniel Wolcott for their statistical advice, and Dr. Stephen Pruett-Jones, along with numerous other anonymous reviewers, for their patience and insightful edits of the manuscript.

Funding

We received funding for this project through the Texas State University Freeman Fellowship Award, Texas State University Durrenberger Scholarship for Women in Science, Texas State University Graduate College Scholarship, and the Texas State University Thesis Research Support Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas State University, 601 University Dr., San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA

    Rebekah J. Rylander, Sarah R. Fritts & Andrea S. Aspbury

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  1. Rebekah J. Rylander
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  2. Sarah R. Fritts
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Correspondence to Rebekah J. Rylander.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

To carry out this study in accordance with both federal and local laws, we obtained the following wildlife handling permits before research began: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) (no. 201532811), federal Master Banding Permit (no. 23546), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Permit (MB121162-2), and Texas Parks and Wildlife Collection Permit (no. SPR-0106-005). We handled all birds professionally and ethically as advised by the Ornithological Council’s Guidelines for wild avifauna in research.

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Communicated by S. Pruett-Jones

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Rylander, R.J., Fritts, S.R. & Aspbury, A.S. Limited dispersal by large juvenile males leads to kin-structured neighborhoods in the black-crested titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 74, 65 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-020-02844-x

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