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Offspring sex ratio of a woodland songbird is unrelated to habitat fragmentation

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Abstract

We assessed whether the sex ratio of nestling Marsh Tits (Poecile palustris) varied with habitat fragmentation by sampling broods from two British woodland areas with contrasting patch size, and comparing the data with published results from an extensive forest in Poland. We found no evidence for manipulation of offspring sex ratios, supporting findings from Poland, and suggesting that this trait may be typical of the species. The results are important in helping to understand the origin of biased sex ratios observed among adult Marsh Tits in the declining population in Britain.

Zusammenfassung

Das Geschlechterverhältnis von Nachkommen einer Waldsingvogelart ist unabhängig vom Grad der Fragmentierung des Lebensraums

Wir prüften, ob das Geschlechterverhältnis von nestjungen Sumpfmeisen (Poecile palustris) mit dem Grad der Fragmentierung ihres Lebensraumes variiert. Dazu untersuchten wir zwei Populationen in Großbritannien, die sich in der Größe der Waldfragmente unterschieden, und verglichen die Daten mit publizierten Ergebnissen aus einem ausgedehnten Waldgebiet in Polen. Wir fanden keine Hinweise auf einen Einfluss der Fragmentierung auf das Geschlechterverhältnis, was frühere Daten aus Polen unterstützt, dass Daten das Geschlechterverhältnis arttypisch ist. nahmen wir Blutproben (Nachkommen von Waldvogelarten ist unabhängig vom Grad der Fragmentierung des Lebensraums. Dieses Ergebnis ist wichtig, um das ungleiche Geschlechterverhältnis von adulten Sumpfmeisen in abnehmenden Populationen in Großbritannien zu verstehen.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Natural England and the Conservator of Wytham Woods for access to study sites. This work was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK

    Richard K. Broughton, John C. Day & Shelley A. Hinsley

  2. Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK

    Jane E. Carpenter & Andrew G. Gosler

Authors
  1. Richard K. Broughton
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  2. John C. Day
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  3. Jane E. Carpenter
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  4. Andrew G. Gosler
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  5. Shelley A. Hinsley
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard K. Broughton.

Additional information

Communicated by F. Bairlein.

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Broughton, R.K., Day, J.C., Carpenter, J.E. et al. Offspring sex ratio of a woodland songbird is unrelated to habitat fragmentation. J Ornithol 159, 593–596 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-018-1546-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-018-1546-z

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