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Carotenoids in nestling Montagu’s harriers: variations according to age, sex, body condition and evidence for diet-related limitations

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Abstract

Carotenoids are colored pigments forming the basis of many avian social traits. Before their utilization carotenoids must be acquired through diet and mobilized for specific uses. The relationships between carotenoid-based coloration, circulating carotenoids and body condition have been well studied in adult birds, but little is known in nestlings. Here, we investigated variations in carotenoid-based coloration in a raptor nestling, the Montagu’s harrier (Circus pygargus), both in captivity and in natural conditions, and within a vole (poor-carotenoid source and cyclic prey) specialist population. We studied these variations according to nestling age and sex, and possible limitations in carotenoid availability by comparing years of contrasted prey abundance and using carotenoid supplementation experiments. Captive nestlings, fed only with mice, were strongly carotenoid limited. Wild nestlings were also carotenoid limited, especially in a year of high vole abundance. Nestlings were in better condition but less colored during a peak vole abundance year than during a low vole abundance year, when harriers targeted more alternative preys (birds, insects). Thus, variation in vole abundance resulted in a de-coupling of body condition and carotenoid-based coloration in this population. This suggested that the positive relation between the body condition and carotenoid-based traits, typically found in adult birds, could be restricted to adults or nestlings of species that feed on carotenoid-rich food. Our results should stimulate more work on the functions and mechanisms of carotenoid-based traits in nestlings, which deserve more attention and most likely differ from those of adult birds.

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Acknowledgments

This study was conducted under a license delivered by the CRBPO (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle). This work was financially supported by the Research Group 2155 (CNRS, GDR) ‘Behavioural ecology’ through a collaboration between the Centre d’Etudes Biologique de Chizé (CNRS UPR1934, Chizé, France) and the University of Bourgogne (CNRS UMR5561, Dijon, France). We are grateful to L. Denonfoux and G. Leblanc for their dedicated help during the field work. Particular thanks are due to E. Arnoux and B. Faivre for help during laboratory analyses in Dijon and to S. Dano and C. Trouvé for help in molecular sexing. We thank M. M. Gouat for helping to maintain captive birds, and A. P. Møller and G. R. Bortolotti for helpful comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEBC-CNRS, 79360, Beauvoir-sur-Niort, France

    Audrey Sternalski, Benoît Gangloff, Alexandre Villers & Vincent Bretagnolle

  2. Instituto de Investigationes en Recursos Cinegeticos, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain

    François Mougeot

  3. Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), General Segura 1, 04001, Almeria, Spain

    François Mougeot

  4. Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Station de Chizé, 79360, Beauvoir-sur-Niort, France

    Cyril Eraud

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  1. Audrey Sternalski
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  2. François Mougeot
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  3. Cyril Eraud
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  5. Alexandre Villers
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  6. Vincent Bretagnolle
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Correspondence to Audrey Sternalski.

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Communicated by G. Heldmaier.

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Sternalski, A., Mougeot, F., Eraud, C. et al. Carotenoids in nestling Montagu’s harriers: variations according to age, sex, body condition and evidence for diet-related limitations. J Comp Physiol B 180, 33–43 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-009-0384-y

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