Journal of Ornithology

, Volume 155, Issue 2, pp 389–397 | Cite as

Male viability is positively related to multiple male ornaments in Asian Barn Swallows

  • Masaru Hasegawa
  • Emi Arai
  • Mamoru Watanabe
  • Masahiko Nakamura
Original Article
First Online:
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Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

The European Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica rustica is a model system for studying female mate choice for indirect benefits, as the long tail of males, the target of female mate choice, is positively related to male viability. However, situations may differ in other subspecies where male ornaments other than tail length are prominent and seem to be the targets of female choice. In this study, similar to previous studies on European populations, we determined the relationship between male viability and male ornaments, including tail length, in a Japanese population of the Asian Barn Swallow H. r. gutturalis, which have short tails, a whitish ventral plumage, and a large red throat patch. We observed that males with longer tails and larger and more colored (i.e., lower saturation values) throat patches were more likely to return to the study area than other males, independent of their age. Of these ornaments, information on viability of male tail length partially overlapped the information on viability by throat coloration. Because females choose mates, either directly or indirectly, based on their throat coloration, female mate preference for tail length had few benefits for the choosers. This may explain why female mate preference for tail length was not observed in this population. In addition, differing from a previous study in a European population, male throat patch size may serve as a good indicator of male viability, independent of tail length and throat coloration in this population. We discuss the possible explanations for the observed patterns.

Keywords

Benefit of mate choice Geographic variation Plumage coloration Survivorship Tail length 

Zusammenfassung

Die Qualitätder Männchen ist positiv korreliert mit mehreren männlichen Ornamenten bei Asiatischen Rauchschwalben

Die Europäische Rauschschwalbe Hirundo rustica rustica ist ein Modelorganismus zur Untersuchung der weiblichen Partnerwahl hinsichtlich indirekter Vorteile, da der lange Schwanz der Männchen, Auswahlkriterium der Weibchen bei ihrer Partnerwahl, positiv korreliert ist mit der Qualität der Männchen. Allerdings kann dies bei anderen Unterarten abweichen, wo andere männliche Ornamente als die Länge der Schwanzfedern prominenter sind und als Auswahlkriterien der Weibchen dienen. Ähnlich wie bei früheren Studien an europäischen Populationen untersuchten wir in dieser Studie das Verhältnis zwischen der Männchen-Qualität und der männlichen Ornamentik, inklusive der Schwanzlänge, in einer japanischen Population der Asiatischen Rauchschwalbe H. r. gutturalis. Asiatische Rauchschwalben haben kurze Schwanzfedern, eine weißliche Unterseite und einen großen roten Kehlfleck. Wir beobachteten, dass, unabhängig ihres Alters, Männchen mit längeren Schwanzfedern sowie größeren und stärker gefärbten Kehlflecken (d. h. geringere Farbsättigungswerte) eher in das Untersuchungsgebiet zurückkehrten als andere Männchen. Bei diesen Ornamenten überlagerte die Information zur Männchen-Qualität mittels der Schwanzlänge teilweise die Information zur Qualität mittels der Kehlfärbung. Da die Weibchen ihre Partner, entweder direkt oder indirekt, auf Basis der männlichen Kehlfärbung wählen, hatte die weibliche Präferenz für die Schwanzlänge der Männchen weniger Vorteile. Das könnte erklären, warum die Präferenz der Weibchen für die Länge der Schwanzfedern bei den Männchen in dieser Population nicht beobachtet werden konnte. Darüber hinaus, abweichend von früheren Studien in europäischen Populationen, könnte in dieser Population die Größe des männlichen Kehlfleckes ein guter Indikator für die Qualität der Männchen sein, unabhängig von der Schwanzlänge und der Kehlfärbung. Wir diskutieren mögliche Erklärungsansätze für die beobachteten Muster.

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Notes

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the residents of Joetsu City for their kind support and assistance. We also thank the members of the Laboratory of Animal Ecology of Joetsu University of Education and the Laboratory of Conservation Ecology of University of Tsukuba. We would like to thank Melinda Weaver for her advice on the manuscript.

Supplementary material

10336_2013_1019_MOESM1_ESM.doc (61 kb)
Supplementary material 1 (DOC 61 kb)

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Copyright information

© Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V. 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Masaru Hasegawa
    • 1
    • 3
  • Emi Arai
    • 2
  • Mamoru Watanabe
    • 1
  • Masahiko Nakamura
    • 2
  1. 1.Graduate School of Life and Environmental SciencesUniversity of TsukubaTsukubaJapan
  2. 2.Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Department of BiologyJoetsu University of EducationJoetsuJapan
  3. 3.KanazawaJapan

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