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Breeding biology, sexually dimorphic development and nestling testosterone concentrations of the classically polyandrous African black coucal, Centropus grillii

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Abstract

Many internal and environmental factors influence the growth of birds. Here we ask whether the reversed sexual dimorphism in the classically polyandrous black coucal is reflected in differential growth and fledging parameters of females and males. We also investigate whether androgen concentrations were higher in females than males during the nestling development, thus, providing a potential mechanism for the ‘behavioural masculinization’ of female black coucals. Furthermore, we give a detailed description of the breeding biology of this little studied and unusual bird species. Black coucal eggs were smaller, and the incubation and nestling periods were shorter than expected for a bird of that size. In absolute terms female black coucals grew faster than males and left the nest with a larger body mass, suggesting that females are the more expensive sex to rear in this species. However, in relation to adult body size, females grew slower and reached a smaller proportion of their adult body size than males upon fledging. ‘Testosterone’ concentrations were significantly higher in male than in female nestlings, hence not supporting a role of circulating androgens in the ontogeny of sex-role reversal. To our knowledge, the early sex differences in ‘testosterone’ levels of black coucals represent the first evidence that such differences exist in nestlings of altricial birds. We present anecdotal evidence that the differences may be related to an early maturation of male reproductive organs in black coucals. In females but not in males, ‘testosterone’ concentrations were related to structural growth rates.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Tanzania Commission of Science and Technology (COSTECH), the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Dr Felister Urasa from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and the management of the Kapunga Rice Project, in particular Mr Melkizedek Saro and Mr Heke, for the permits to conduct this study. We are especially grateful to Wolfgang Wickler from the former Max Planck Institute for Behavioural Physiology for his continuous support and to the late Ebo Gwinner for giving WG the opportunity to continue the Black Coucal Project. We thank Veit Eitner, Dieter Schmidl, Sabine Tebbich, Andrea Wittenzellner and especially Musa Makomba for assistance in the field, Kim Teltscher for invaluable help to molecularly sex the birds, Barbara Helm and Michael Raess for improving an earlier version of the manuscript, Liz and Neil Baker, Sonja and Andreas Kümmerle and Petra and Peter Neubert for logistic support, and Nicole Hoiss for editorial help with the manuscript. This study was funded by grants no. Go 985/2-1 and Go 985/2-2 from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Max Planck Society to WG and by grants OPP-9911333 and IBN-9905679 from the National Science Foundation to JCW. This study complies with the current laws of Tanzania.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Rhythms & Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, von-der-Tann-Str. 7, 82346, Andechs, Germany

    Wolfgang Goymann

  2. Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319, Seewiesen, Germany

    Bart Kempenaers

  3. Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    John Wingfield

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  1. Wolfgang Goymann
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Correspondence to Wolfgang Goymann.

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Communicated by F. Bairlein

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Goymann, W., Kempenaers, B. & Wingfield, J. Breeding biology, sexually dimorphic development and nestling testosterone concentrations of the classically polyandrous African black coucal, Centropus grillii . J Ornithol 146, 314–324 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-005-0004-x

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