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Egg coloration in ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis): a test of the sexual signaling hypothesis

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Abstract

Although many avian eggs appear to be cryptically colored, many species also lay vibrant blue green eggs. This seemingly conspicuous coloration has puzzled biologists since Wallace, as natural selection should favor reduced egg visibility to minimize predation pressure. The sexual signaling hypothesis posits that blue green egg coloration serves as a signal of female quality and that males exert post-mating sexual selection on this trait by investing more in the nests of females laying more intensely blue green eggs. This hypothesis has received mixed support to date, and most previous studies have been conducted in cavity-nesting species where male evaluation of his partner’s egg coloration, relative to that of other females, may be somewhat limited. In this study, we test the sexual signaling hypothesis in colonially nesting ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) where males have ample opportunity to assess their mate’s egg coloration relative to that of other females. We used correlational data and an experimental manipulation to test four assumptions and predictions of the sexual signaling hypothesis: (1) blue green pigmentation should be limiting to females; (2) extent of blue green egg coloration should relate to female quality; (3) extent of blue green egg coloration should relate to offspring quality; and (4) males should provide more care to clutches with higher blue green chroma. Our data provide little support for these predictions of the sexual signaling hypothesis in ring-billed gulls. In light of this and other empirical data, we encourage future studies to consider additional hypotheses for the evolution of blue green egg coloration.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to Jim Quinn for the advice, guidance, and logistical support he provided throughout this project. We thank M. Vujacic, S. Mai, and especially A. Mistakidis for their efforts in the field. The Doucet Lab provided insightful comments on the manuscript. We also thank anonymous reviewers and the editorial staff for their helpful suggestions. Our study was funded by an Explorer’s Club grant to D.H. and by research and equipment grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the University of Windsor to S.M.D. This study was conducted under compliance of regulations provided by the Canadian Council on Animal Care.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Biology Building, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada

    Daniel Hanley & Stéphanie M. Doucet

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  1. Daniel Hanley
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  2. Stéphanie M. Doucet
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Correspondence to Daniel Hanley.

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Communicated by K. McGraw

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Hanley, D., Doucet, S.M. Egg coloration in ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis): a test of the sexual signaling hypothesis. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 63, 719–729 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-008-0705-2

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