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Parental investment of male Peregrine Falcons during incubation: influence of experience and weather

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Abstract

Incubation involves a transfer of heat between parent and embryo. The brood patch is pressed against one surface of the egg, and warming occurs as a result of adjustments in both blood flow through the brood patch and heat production by the parent. A brood patch normally develops in both sexes in bird species where incubation is biparental. But in uniparental species, where the male does not incubate, or in species where he contributes to incubation for short periods only (e.g. Peregrine Falcon), the brood patch is absent or poorly developed in males. Considering that male peregrines do not develop a brood patch, and by consequence have less efficient heat transmission capabilities, we tested four hypotheses related to the time devoted to incubation by male peregrines. This study was conducted on a long-term-monitored population located in northern Spain. We spent 482.73 h monitoring peregrine incubation events in 37 territories from 2008 to 2016. We observed 203 changeovers. Males relieved females 3.02 ± 2.61 times per day. The changeover rate was not regularly distributed throughout the daylight period. Males devoted 114.3 ± 84.24 min to each incubation event. The time invested by males in incubation was strongly related to their level of experience at breeding in the territory. However, there were no significant relationships between the time devoted by males to incubation and their previous accumulated reproductive success. Neither was there a relationship between reproductive performance and the time invested by males in incubation. The time that males devoted to incubation was significantly related to the environmental temperature. It seemed that males devoted nonsignificantly slightly less time to incubation during the first and last weeks of the incubation process. This results demonstrate that the uniparental scheduling in Peregrine Falcons is conditioned firstly by ambient factors and secondly by male experience.

Zusammenfassung

Elterliche Investition beim männlichen Wanderfalken während des Brütens: der Einfluss von Wetter und Erfahrung

Brüten erfordert einen Wärmetransport zwischen Eltern und Embryo. Dabei wird der Brutfleck gegen die Oberfläche des Eis gepresst, dessen Erwärmen dann das Ergebnis des durch den Brutfleck fließenden Bluts und der Wärmeproduktion der Eltern ist. Bei den Vogelarten, bei denen beide Elterntiere brüten, entwickelt sich ein Brutfleck bei beiden Geschlechtern. Bei denjenigen Arten jedoch, bei denen das Männchen gar nicht oder nur eine kurze Zeit brütet (wie z.B. beim Wanderfalken), haben die Männchen gar keinen oder einen nur schwach entwickelten Brutfleck. In Anbetracht der Tatsache, dass Wanderfalkenmännchen keinen Brutfleck entwickeln und einen dementsprechend weniger effizienten Wärmetransport aufweisen, testeten wir vier Hypothesen im Zusammenhang mit der Zeit, die männliche Wanderfalken mit dem Brüten verbringen. Die Untersuchung wurde an einer schon seit langem beobachteten Population in Nordspanien durchgeführt. Von 2008 bis 2016 beobachteten wir in 37 Brutgebieten 482,73 Stunden lang die Brut-Ereignisse bei den Wanderfalken. Es fanden insgesamt 203 Wechsel beim Brüten statt; die Männchen übernahmen das Brüten von den Weibchen 3,02 ± 2,61 mal pro Tag. Diese Wechsel waren nicht gleichmäßig über den Tag verteilt. Die Männchen brüteten jeweils für 114,3 ± 84,24 Minuten. Dabei hing die von den Männchen mit Brüten verbrachte Zeit stark von ihrer Bruterfahrung in dem betreffenden Gebiet ab. Es gab aber keinen signifikanten Zusammenhang zwischen der von den Männchen mit Brüten verbrachten Zeit und ihrem früheren, kumulierten oder ihrem aktuellen Fortpflanzungserfolg. Hingegen hing die Zeit, die die Männchen mit Brüten verbrachten, signifikant von der Umgebungstemperatur ab. Es schaute so aus, als würden die Männchen während der ersten und der letzten Brutwoche unsignifikant weniger lange brüten. Diese Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass bei Wanderfalken das Brüten nur durch ein Elternteil in erster Linie von der Umgebungstemperatur abhängt und nur an zweiter Stelle von der Erfahrung der Männchen.

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Acknowledgements

We thank L. Astorkia, I. Castillo, G. Burgos, J. Ruiz, A. Azkona and J. Elorriaga for field assistance. This research was partially funded by the Dpto Sostenibilidad y Medio Natural of the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia. All the necessary permits were issued by the agriculture and the environment departments of the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia. We thank Alexandra Farrell for linguistic revision. In memory of Mikel Larrea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Estudios Medioambientales Icarus S.L., C/San Vicente 8, 6 ª Planta, Dpto 8, Edificio Albia I, 48001, Bilbao, Spain

    Iñigo Zuberogoitia

  2. Bonelli’s Eagle Study and Conservation Group, Apdo. 4009, 30080, Murcia, Spain

    Jose Enrique Martínez

  3. Department of Ornithology, Aranzadi Sciences Society, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014, San Sebastián, Spain

    Mikel Larrea

  4. School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK

    Jabi Zabala

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  1. Iñigo Zuberogoitia
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  2. Jose Enrique Martínez
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  3. Mikel Larrea
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  4. Jabi Zabala
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Correspondence to Iñigo Zuberogoitia.

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Communicated by O. Krüger.

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Zuberogoitia, I., Martínez, J.E., Larrea, M. et al. Parental investment of male Peregrine Falcons during incubation: influence of experience and weather. J Ornithol 159, 275–282 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-017-1503-2

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