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Context-dependent effects of nestling growth trajectories on recruitment probability in the collared flycatcher

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Abstract

Nestling growth is known as an important determinant of fitness in altricial birds, but its evolutionary potential has been debated, and little is known about detailed patterns of current selection on growth. Relationships are often reported between nestling growth and attributes of nestlings and parents, but the interpretation of these depends on the advantages a given growth difference confers to the chicks. Increased growth may have positive, negative or context-dependent effects on offspring fitness, but these effects are largely unknown in natural populations. We measured growth trajectories of body mass in fostered broods of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) in 3 years of contrasting food conditions. We examined the growth of young and their recruitment probability to the breeding population in relation to year quality, hatching rank, sex, paternal age and paternal attractiveness. We also looked at the interactive effects of growth and intrinsic offspring attributes on recruitment probability. The predictors of nestling growth and those of recruitment did not agree. Moreover, the recruitment consequences of a given nestling growth rate were significantly influenced by nestling rank and paternal ornamentation. Differential recruitment effects of nestling growth in relation to parental traits and nestling attributes suggest that using growth as a generally applicable measure of nestling quality may not be justified. These findings also have implications for morphological evolution and the indicator value of sexual signals.

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Acknowledgements

We thank R. Hargitai, M. Herényi, G. Michl and B. Szigeti for help in the fieldwork. This study was supported by Országos Tudományos Kutatási Alapprogramok grants T34880, T49650, K75618, PD72117 and PD75481, a Bolyai János fellowship, several grants from FWO Flanders, an Öveges József grant, the Pilis Park Forestry, and the Erdők a Közjóért Alapítvány.

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The experiments were performed in accordance with the current laws of Hungary.

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

    Gergely Hegyi, Balázs Rosivall, Eszter Szöllősi & János Török

  2. Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    Marcel Eens

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  1. Gergely Hegyi
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  2. Balázs Rosivall
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  3. Eszter Szöllősi
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  5. János Török
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Correspondence to Gergely Hegyi.

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Hegyi, G., Rosivall, B., Szöllősi, E. et al. Context-dependent effects of nestling growth trajectories on recruitment probability in the collared flycatcher. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 65, 1647–1658 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-011-1175-5

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