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Absorbance of retinal oil droplets of the budgerigar: sex, spatial and plumage morph-related variation

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Abstract

Intraspecific variation in photoreceptor physiology is known in several vertebrate taxa, but is currently unknown in birds, despite many avian traits varying intraspecifically, and avian visual ecology encompassing a wide range of environments and visual stimuli, which might influence spectral sensitivity. Avian retinal photoreceptors contain light absorbing carotenoid-rich oil droplets that affect vision. Carotenoids are also important plumage components. However, our understanding of the regulation of carotenoids in oil droplets remains rudimentary. Among birds, Melopsittacus undulatus has probably the best-studied colour vision, shows profound intraspecific variation in plumage colour, and increased plasma carotenoids during moult. We used microspectrophotometry to determine whether a relationship exists between oil droplet carotenoid concentration and plumage pigmentation, and tested for sex and spatial variation in droplet absorbance across the retina. Absorbance of one variety of P-type droplets was higher in males. No relationship was found between droplet absorbance and plumage colour. We found a spatial pattern of droplets absorbance across the retina that matched a pattern found in another parrot, and other avian species. Our work provides insights into the development and maintenance of retinal oil droplets and suggests a common mechanism and function for carotenoid deposition in the retina across bird species.

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Abbreviations

AIC:

Akaike’s information criterion

λcut :

Cut-off wavelength

ICC:

Intraclass coefficient

LWS:

Longwave sensitive

MWS:

Mediumwave sensitive

MSP:

Microspectrophotometry

SWS:

Shortwave sensitive

UVS:

Ultraviolet sensitive

VS:

Violet sensitive

λmax :

Wavelength of maximum sensitivity

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Acknowledgments

B. Knott was funded by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) strategic studentship no. BBS/S/H/2005/11891. A. T. D. Bennett was funded by BBSRC grant B01568, and by a Leverhulme Trust Fellowship, Bristol University and Deakin University. The authors declare that all experiments comply with the laws of the United Kingdom. All animal procedures were approved by the University of Bristol ethical review group (UIN:UB/06/002).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UG, UK

    Ben Knott & Andrew T. D. Bennett

  2. Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Pigdons Road, Geelong, VIC, 3217, Australia

    Ben Knott, Mathew L. Berg & Andrew T. D. Bennett

  3. Division of Visual Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, Bath Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK

    James K. Bowmaker

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  1. Ben Knott
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  2. James K. Bowmaker
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Correspondence to Ben Knott.

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Knott, B., Bowmaker, J.K., Berg, M.L. et al. Absorbance of retinal oil droplets of the budgerigar: sex, spatial and plumage morph-related variation. J Comp Physiol A 198, 43–51 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-011-0684-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-011-0684-z

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