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Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 12 pp 353–362Cite as

Male European Starlings Use Odorous Herbs as Nest Material to Attract Females and Benefit Nestlings

Abstract

Male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) use odorous herbs as green nest material. They show these plants to females to catch their attention before they incorporate them into their nests. Nestlings reared in nests containing herbs carry fewer bacteria, have higher haematocrit levels and more basophile leucocytes, and have a higher fledging weight than those reared in nests without herbs. The incubation temperature is higher in nests with herbs than in herbless nests. Females are attracted by herb nests and herb nests provide energy-saving benefits to incubating females. In choice experiments, starlings employed olfaction to select nest herbs, using innate information and experience acquired as nestlings to identify odours. Measures of head space air in starling nest boxes revealed an increase of volatile substances during the nestlings phase. Manganese-enhanced resonance imaging of the olfactory bulb of starling showed that the neural correlates of olfactory sensitivity change seasonally. Starlings can only discriminate odours during the reproductive season. The association between odour perception and reproductive behaviour suggests that increased testosterone production, related to the increasing photoperiod in spring, may guide these seasonal changes. The size of the olfactory bulb but not its ability to discriminate was affected by testosterone implants in the non-reproductive season.

Keywords

  • Olfactory Bulb
  • Nest Material
  • Nest Temperature
  • Olfactory Bulb Volume
  • Spotless Starling

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Acknowledgement

I thank all the people who were involved in this study: In the field L. Trost, M. Oltrogge, S. Karaki, U. Nienaber, J. Schuller, W. Jensen, E. Koch, S. Gwinner, and S. Habersetzer helped. S. Berger contributed to the study on herbs and bacteria and to the odour choice experiments. F. Grimm and S. Schlemmer from the Veterinarian University, Munich, gave haematological advice and did the white blood cell counts. I. Baldwin from the MPI for Chemical Ecology, Jena, provided his knowledge and the opportunity to investigate starling head space air, which was analysed by B. Krock. A.V.D. Linden from the Bio imaging lab, Antwerp, and S. Steiger cooperated in the olfactory bulb study, performed by G. De Groof. B. Helm aided us with statistical competence. Ebo Gwinner gave us numerous good advices and discussions and the opportunity to perform this study over years. After his death, 2004, B. Kempenaers helped us to continue with words and deeds. I am very grateful to all of them.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany

    Helga Gwinner

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  1. Helga Gwinner
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Correspondence to Helga Gwinner .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife R, Im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V, Berlin, 10252, Berlin, Germany

    Marion L East

  2. , Department of Reproduction Biology, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife R, Im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V, Berlin, 10252, Germany

    Martin Dehnhard

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Gwinner, H. (2013). Male European Starlings Use Odorous Herbs as Nest Material to Attract Females and Benefit Nestlings. In: East, M., Dehnhard, M. (eds) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 12. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5927-9_28

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