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Shell thickness and pore density in relation to shell colouration, female characteristics, and environmental factors in the Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis

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An Erratum to this article was published on 12 February 2011

Abstract

Avian eggshell structure may have important consequences for embryonic growth and development, but relatively little is known about the factors responsible for variation in eggshell characteristics of wild birds. In this paper, we explored potential causes of variation in eggshell colour and structure (shell thickness and porosity) in the Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). We analysed if eggshell colour is affected by shell structure or pigment level, and whether female traits, laying date, local breeding density, and clutch size affect shell thickness and pore density. We found that eggshell blue-green and UV colours were unrelated to shell thickness, pore density and egg size. Eggs with higher concentration of biliverdin showed lower UV reflection and higher reflection in the blue-green part of the spectrum. We found that females in better nutritional condition, indicated by their higher mass controlled for tarsus length, laid eggs with thicker shells. It is possible that females in better condition have more time available for searching calcium-rich food, and thus could produce eggs with stronger shells. However, female physical characteristics had no significant relationships with shell porosity. In contrast to our expectation, shell thickness and pore density were unrelated to local breeding density and laying date, though very late and repeat clutches were not sampled in our study. However, we found that eggs in larger clutches had lower pore density than eggs in smaller clutches, which may be expected if the rate of water loss and nest humidity are to remain constant in clutches of different egg numbers.

Zusammenfassung

Die Struktur der Eischale von Vögeln kann wichtige Folgen für das Wachstum und die Entwicklung der Embryonen haben, doch über die Faktoren, die für Variation in den Eigenschaften der Eischale bei freilebenden Vögeln verantwortlich sind, ist relativ wenig bekannt. In diesem Artikel haben wir mögliche Gründe für die Variation in Eischalenfarbe und -struktur (Schalendicke und Porosität) beim Halsbandschnäpper (Ficedula albicollis) untersucht. Wir haben analysiert, ob die Eischalenfarbe von der Schalenstruktur oder dem Pigmentgehalt beeinflusst wird und ob Weibchenmerkmale, Legedatum, lokale Brutpaardichte und Gelegegröße die Schalendicke und Porendichte beeinflussen. Wir fanden, dass blaugrüne und ultraviolette Farben der Eischale nicht mit der Schalendicke, Porendichte und Eigröße zusammenhingen. Eier mit einer höheren Biliverdinkonzentration zeigten eine geringere UV-Reflexion und stärkere Reflexion im blaugrünen Bereich des Spektrums. Wir fanden, dass Weibchen in besserem Ernährungszustand, angezeigt durch ihre höhere Körpermasse korrigiert für Tarsuslänge, Eier mit dickerer Schale legten. Es ist möglich, dass Weibchen in besserer Kondition mehr Zeit haben, kalziumreiche Nahrung zu suchen, und daher Eier mit stärkerer Schale produzieren. Die Körpermerkmale der Weibchen standen jedoch in keiner signifikanten Beziehung zu der Schalenporosität. Entgegen unserer Erwartung standen Schalendicke und Porendichte nicht mit der lokalen Brutpaardichte und dem Legedatum in Zusammenhang, obwohl sehr späte Gelege und Nachgelege in unserer Studie nicht beprobt wurden. Wir fanden jedoch, dass Eier in größeren Gelegen eine geringere Porendichte hatten als Eier in kleineren Gelegen, was zu erwarten wäre, wenn die Wasserverlustrate und die Nestfeuchte in Gelegen mit unterschiedlicher Eizahl konstant blieben.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to R. Főző, L.Z. Garamszegi, G. Hegyi, M. Herényi, M. Laczi, G. Nagy, B. Rosivall, B. Szigeti and E. Szöllősi for assistance during fieldwork. We are indebted to P. Camarero, M. Martínez-Haro and J. Moreno for suggestions and help in the laboratory analyses. We thank two anonymous referees for their constructive comments. This study was supported by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA, grants no. T49650 and K75618), the Hungarian Ministry of Education (FKFP 0021/2002), the Eötvös Loránd University, and the Pilis Park Forestry. The Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water provided permissions for the collection of Collared Flycatcher eggs for this study (permission no. 15951/2005). This research received support from the SYNTHESYS Project (http://www.synthesys.info/), which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP6 “Structuring the European Research Area” Programme. The study complied with the current laws of Hungary.

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  1. Rita Hargitai

    Present address: Institute of Environmental Sciences, College of Nyíregyháza, Sóstói út 31/B, 4401, Nyíregyháza, Hungary

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. sétány 1/C, 1117, Budapest, Hungary

    Rita Hargitai & János Török

  2. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, CSIC-UCLM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain

    Rafael Mateo

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  1. Rita Hargitai
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Correspondence to Rita Hargitai.

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Communicated by C. G. Guglielmo.

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10336-011-0665-6

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Hargitai, R., Mateo, R. & Török, J. Shell thickness and pore density in relation to shell colouration, female characteristics, and environmental factors in the Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis . J Ornithol 152, 579–588 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-010-0627-4

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