Effects of temperature and nest heat exposure on nestling growth,dehydration and survival in a Mediterranean hole‐nesting passerine

Variable environments impose constraints on adaptation by modifying selection gradients unpredictably. Optimal bird development requires an adequate thermal range, outside which temperatures can alter nestling physiology, condition and survival. We studied the effect of temperature and nest heat exposure on the reproductive success of a population of double‐brooded Spotless Starlings Sturnus unicolor breeding in a nestbox colony in central Spain with a marked intra‐seasonal variation in temperature. We assessed whether the effect of temperature differed between first and second broods, thus constraining optimal nest‐site choice. Ambient temperature changed greatly during the chick‐rearing period and had a strong influence on nestling mass and all body size measures we recorded, although patterns of clutch size or nestling mortality were not influenced. This effect differed between first and second broods: nestlings were found to have longer wings and bills with increasing temperature in first broods, whereas the effect was the opposite in second broods. Ambient temperature was not related to nestling body mass or tarsus‐length in first broods, but in second broods, nestlings were lighter and had smaller tarsi with higher ambient temperatures. The exposure of nestboxes to heat influenced nestling morphology: heat exposure index was negatively related to nestling body mass and wing‐length in second broods, but not in first broods. Furthermore, there was a positive relationship between nest heat exposure and nestling dehydration. Our results suggest that optimal nest choice is constrained by varying environmental conditions in birds breeding over prolonged periods, and that there should be selection for parents to switch from sun‐exposed to sun‐protected nest‐sites as the season progresses. However, nest‐site availability and competition for sites are likely to impose constraints on this choice.     

The effect of old age on the reproduction of Great Tits Parus major and Blue Tits P. caeruleus

The results from two data sets show that in Great Tits Parus major and Blue Tits P. caeruleus reproduction is influenced by age. In both species, laying dates become earlier while clutch- and brood-size increase between the ages of 1 and 2, but there is no change in nesting success or post-fledging juvenile survival. Great Tits aged 5 or older are 'old' in that laying starts later and nesting success, brood-size and post-fledging juvenile survival decrease. Blue Tits become 'old' 1 year earlier than Great Tits: females aged 4 or older lay later, have a lower nesting success and smaller brood-size, and their young show a decreased post-fledging survival. The effect on laying date, in the Blue Tit, becomes apparent only for females aged 6 and older. It is concluded that ageing in small passerines is to be expected more generally, but that no extrapolations can be made as to the timing of the effect from one species to another.     

Summer dispersal and survival of juvenile Great Tits in southern Sweden

Summary Movements and survival of 506 first-brood Great Tit nestlings that fledged in mid-June in an oak wood in southern Sweden were studied by intensive trapping in that wood and in several neighbouring woods between 17 July and 10 September 1977. A total of 1177 captures of 508 individuals was made.Two periods of summer dispersal can be distinguished: the first period, one to one- and-one-half months after fledging, lasts longer in females and results in females moving farther away from their birthplace than males; and the second period in early September. There was no effect of brood-size, fledging date or size on dispersal movements. There is, however, a nest effect in that siblings tend to be more alike in the distance moved than non-siblings.The summer mortality rate is constant but high (13% per week). It is not affected by brood size or fledging date, but during the first month after fledging large individuals survive better than smaller ones. The summer mortality rate of dispersers (birds moving between woods) is not higher than that of non-dispersers.The results contradict two hypotheses proposed to explain when and how postfledging mortality occurs. The mortality rate is not higher during the first month after fledging, as Perrins' and Lack's hypothesis predicts. Since only 22% of the young are still alive at the beginning of September, autumn territorial behaviour cannot be the main factor causing juvenile losses, as proposed by Kluyver.There is some circumstantial evidence that Great Tits compete for food during the summer, and that food therefore could be in short supply, as suggested by Perrins.The observed differential dispersal of adults and young, and of male and female juveniles, may be the result of the dominance relationships in the family flock and later in the summer flocks, with subordinate individuals moving farthest.     

Body temperature responses of Great Tits Parus major to handling in the cold

Animals typically respond to stressful stimuli such as handling by increasing core body temperature. However, small birds in cold environments have been found to decrease body temperature (T_b) when handled over longer periods, although there are no data extending beyond the actual handling event in such birds. We therefore measured both the initial T_b decrease during ringing and standardized T_b sampling, and subsequent recovery of T_b after this handling protocol in wild Great Tits Parus major roosting in nestboxes in winter. Birds reduced their T_b by 2.3 °C during c. 4 min of handling. When birds were returned to their nestboxes after handling, T_b decreased by a further 1.9 °C over c. 2 min, reaching a T_b of 34.6 °C before taking 20 min to rewarm to 2.5 °C above their initial T_b. The T_b reduction during handling could be a consequence of increased heat loss rate from disrupted plumage insulation, whereas T_b reduction after handling might reflect reduced heat production. These are important factors to consider when handling small birds in the cold.     

Effects of leg flags on nest survival of four species of Arctic‐breeding shorebirds

Marking wild birds is an integral part of many field studies. However, if marks affect the vital rates or behavior of marked individuals, any conclusions reached by a study might be biased relative to the general population. Leg bands have rarely been found to have negative effects on birds and are frequently used to mark individuals. Leg flags, which are larger, heavier, and might produce more drag than bands, are commonly used on shorebirds and can help improve resighting rates. However, no one to date has assessed the possible effects of leg flags on the demographic performance of shorebirds. At seven sites in Arctic Alaska and western Canada, we marked individuals and monitored nest survival of four species of Arctic‐breeding shorebirds, including Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), Western Sandpipers (C. mauri), Red‐necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus), and Red Phalaropes (P. fulicarius). We used a daily nest survival model in a Bayesian framework to test for effects of leg flags, relative to birds with only bands, on daily survival rates of 1952 nests. We found no evidence of a difference in nest survival between birds with flags and those with only bands. Our results suggest, therefore, that leg flags have little effect on the nest success of Arctic‐breeding sandpipers and phalaropes. Additional studies are needed, however, to evaluate the possible effects of flags on shorebirds that use other habitats and on survival rates of adults and chicks.     

Provision of nestboxes raises the breeding density of Great Tits Parus major equally in coniferous and deciduous woodland

Nestbox provision is a technique used to increase nest-site availability for secondary cavity-nesting birds. However, little is known about the demographic consequences of nestbox provision in different habitat types. To assess how nestbox provision affects the density of hole-nesting birds simultaneously in two contrasting habitats, we compared the breeding density of Great Tits along transects without nestboxes with that in transects where nestboxes were provided. Although the initial density of breeders was considerably higher in the deciduous habitat than in the coniferous habitat, provision of nestboxes increased density by a similar number of additional pairs in each habitat type. Thus, the provision of nestboxes in managed coniferous forests may be as effective in increasing the breeding opportunities of cavity nesters as in deciduous stands. Moreover, previous research showed that pairs in deciduous habitat with nestboxes have consistently lower breeding success than those in coniferous habitat with nestboxes. It is possible that the addition of nestboxes in the preferred habitat increased density to such an extent that density-dependent effects became apparent.     

Yellow plumage colour of Great Tits Parus major correlates with changing temperature and precipitation

Weather is known to affect the phenology and behaviour of birds, but weather-related changes of phenotypic traits involved in communication have received little attention. Using an 8-year dataset, we investigated links between carotenoid-based reflectance of the freshly moulted breast of Great Tits Parus major, weather during the moulting period and food availability during the preceding breeding season, and we investigated interannual changes. In both sexes, we found a change of colour expression to more saturated and darker yellow over the study period in parallel with increasingly dry and warm weather during moult. These results indicate that the expression of traits playing roles in communication may be controlled by weather and may therefore shift in response to changing climate.     

The timing of breeding and offspring size in Great Tits Parus major

The relationship between the timing of breeding, offspring weight and offspring recruitment was investigated in two populations of Great Tits Parus major. In two of six seasons a significant negative correlation was found between laying date and fledgling weight, in three seasons the opposite was true and in one season no significant correlation existed between these variables. Offspring recruitment was quantified in five seasons, and late-nesting birds were found to produce significantly fewer recruiting offspring in two of these, the same two seasons when late fledglings had significantly lower weights. No significant correlation existed between the number of recruits and laying date in the three seasons when late fledglings were as heavy as or heavier than early fledglings. The potential detriment to reproductive success of lateness thus was offset when late-nesting parents managed to produce heavy young. Between-year variations in the seasonal pattern of reproductive success has previously been suggested to contribute to the maintenance of variability in the timing of breeding in Great Tits. In this paper we suggest that producing heavy offspring late in the season might be a proximate factor influencing the seasonal patterns of reproductive success. Producing heavy offspring late in the season is probably not a "strategy" but rather an effect of chance differences between years in the seasonal availability of food or the seasonality of other factors important for the nesting birds.     

The effect of direct supplementary feeding of nestlings on weight loss in female Great Tits Parus major

Experimentally hand-feeding nestlings of enlarged (+3 nestlings) broods reduced female weight loss during the nestling period in a single-brooded Great Tit Parus major population in Scotland but did not affect nestling size. The result is consistent with the existence of a trade-off in parental care between reproductive costs and benefits.     

Stream temperature and the potential growth and survival of juvenile Oncorhynchus mykiss in a southern California creek

1. We asked whether an increase in food supply in the field would increase the ability of fish populations to withstand climate warming, as predicted by certain bioenergetic models and aquarium experiments. 2. We subsidised the in situ food supply of wild juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a small stream near the species’ southern limit. High‐quality food (10% of fish biomass per day) was added to the drift in eight in‐stream enclosures along a naturally‐occurring thermal gradient. 3. The temperatures during the experiment were well below the upper thermal limit for the species (means of enclosures ranged from 15.1 to 16.5 °C). Food supplements had no discernible effect on survival, but raised mean (± SD) specific growth rate substantially, from 0.038 ± 0.135 in controls to 2.28 ± 0.51 in feeding treatments. Food supplements doubled the variation in growth among fish. 4. The mean and variance of water temperature were correlated across the enclosures, and were therefore transformed into principal component scores T₁ (which expressed the stream‐wide correlation pattern) and T₂ (which expressed local departures from the pattern). Even though T₁ accounted for 96% of the variation in temperature mean and variance, it was not a significant predictor of fish growth. T₂ was a significant predictor of growth. The predicted time to double body mass in an enclosure with a large T₂ score (cool‐variable) was half that in an enclosure with a low T₂ score (warm‐stable). 5. Contrary to expectation, temperature effects were neutral, at least with respect to the main axis of variation among enclosures (cool‐stable versus warm‐variable). Along the orthogonal axis (cool‐variable versus warm‐stable), the effect was opposite from expectations, probably because of temperature variation. Subtle patterns of temperature heterogeneity in streams can be important to potential growth of O. mykiss.     

海水盐度、温度对文蛤稚贝生长及存活的影响

在实验室条件下,研究了不同盐度（19个梯度）、温度（17个梯度）对文蛤稚贝生长和存活的影响.结果表明：文蛤稚贝的适宜生存盐度在6.5～39.5,最适生存盐度在9.0～31.0,适宜生长盐度在7.3～38.7,最适生长盐度在15.0～23.0;其适宜生存温度在4.0 ℃～36.1 ℃,适宜生长温度在7.0 ℃～35.4 ℃,较适宜生长温度在17 ℃～33.5 ℃,最适生长温度在24 ℃～27 ℃.文蛤稚贝对高温度、低盐度有较强的适应性.     

Feather development under environmental stress: lead exposure effects on growth patterns in Great Tits Parus major

Capsule Regrowth rate of tail feathers is more strongly affected compared to feather length and symmetry.

Aims To assess the value of avian feathers as bioindicators.

Methods The origin and persistence of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in homologous pairs of regrowing feathers was studied in captive birds under different levels of environmental stress, respresented by exposure to lead (Pb). Homologous feathers of individually housed birds were plucked synchronously or with a delay of seven days. We measured growth rate, regeneration time, final size and FA of regrown feathers and related them to Pb stress.

Results Asymmetry decreased as feathers reached their final length. This was not due to compensatory growth but rather a consequence of the programmed growth trajectory of single feathers. Tail feathers grown under higher Pb pollution showed increased regeneration times, decreased growth rates and shorter lengths, but no changes in development times nor in FA. For differences between both (i) original and induced feathers and (ii) control and Pb treatment, effect sizes of parameters related to feather development (growth bar width, growth rate, regeneration and development time) were consistently larger than those related to the resulting phenotype (feather length and FA).

Conclusions Growth bar widths in particular provide an applicable, sensitive and reliable indicator of adverse conditions such as Pb pollution and experimental conditions. In general, phenotypic characteristics that retrospectively allow estimation of growth rates may be more suitable for monitoring environmental stress than sizes or asymmetries of full-grown traits.     

温度对海带幼孢子体生长和光合作用的影响

根据欧盟项目的总体研究计划 ,在室内和围隔实验中研究了海带幼孢子体在不同温度条件下的生长情况和光合作用曲线 ,得出幼孢子体在 15°C下生长情况最好 ,而且其长度和重量的日增加量均和温度有线性相关关系。 Pm 值在 15℃时为 5 79mol O2 / (g DW· h) ,围隔实验中为 6 4 2 (mol O2 / (g DW· h)。由于围隔实验海区的光照强于室内 ,使得围隔中海带的光合作用曲线其光饱和点高于室内实验海带的光饱和点。海带光饱和参数 (Ik)与温度有线性相关关系 (R2 =0 .736 7,p<0 .0 5 )。5℃时 ,Ik 值平均为 96μE/ (m2 · s) ,10℃时为 71μE/ (m2 · s) ,15℃时为 31μE/ (m2 · s)。呼吸速率 R值在 5℃时最低 ,为 5 4μmol O2 / (g DW·h) ,10℃、15℃和围隔中均高于 5℃时的呼吸速率 ,并且在 10℃达到最高。本次实验研究得出的生长和光合作用参数将有助于合理确定桑沟湾中海带的养殖容量。     

Experimentally increased nest temperature affects body temperature,growth and apparent survival in blue tit nestlings

The thermal environment experienced by birds during early postembryonic development may be an important factor shaping growth and survival. However, few studies have directly manipulated nest temperature (T _n) during the nestling phase, and none have measured the consequences of experimental heat stress on nestlings’ body temperature (T _b). It is therefore not known to what extent any fitness consequences of development in a thermally challenging environment arise as a direct, or indirect, effect of heat stress. We, therefore, studied how experimentally increased T _n affected T _b in 8–12 d old blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus nestlings, to investigate if increased thermoregulatory demands to maintain normothermic T _b influenced nestling growth and apparent long‐term survival. Nestlings in heated nest‐boxes had significantly higher T _b compared to unheated nestlings during most of the experimental period. Yet, despite facing T _n  50°C (as measured in the bottom of the nest cup below the nestlings), the highest nestling T _b recorded was 43.8°C with nestlings showing evidence of controlled facultative hyperthermia without any increased nestling mortality in heated nests. However, body mass gain was lower in these nestlings compared to nestlings from control nest‐boxes. Contrary to our prediction, a larger proportion of nestlings from heated nest‐boxes were recaptured during their first winter, or subsequently recruited into the breeding population as first‐ or second‐year breeders. This result should, however, be treated with caution because of low recapture rates. This study highlights the importance of the thermal environment during nestling development, and its role in shaping both growth patterns and possibly also apparent survival.     

The interaction of temperature and fish size on growth of juvenile turbot

Growth rate of tagged juvenile turbot was significantly influenced by the interaction of temperature and fish size. The results suggest the optimum temperature for growth of juvenile turbot in the size range 25–75 g is between 16 and 19°C. Optimal temperature for growth decreased rapidly with increasing size, and is between 13 and 16°C for 100 g turbot. Although individual growth rates varied highly at all times within the temperature treatments, significant size rank correlations were maintained during the experimental period. The study confirms that turbot exhibit ontogenetic variation in temperature optimum, which might partly explain different spatial distribution of juvenile and adult turbot in ocean waters.     

The influence of brood loss on nest abandonment decisions in largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides broods were experimentally reduced in size to test whether brood size (BS) and simulated brood depredation affect the decision by a male to continue providing care for its brood or to abandon that brood prematurely before its offspring reach independence. The highest ranked of the generalized linear models predicting brood abandonment was based on the number of offspring remaining in a nest following brood devaluation, indicating that parental male fish reassess the value of a brood following perturbation. Paternal M. salmoides were more likely to abandon their broods if initial BS was small before devaluation, and if there was a greater decrease in BS, indicating a threshold for both the amount of brood loss and remaining BS. Larger, older males were also less likely to abandon their brood than smaller, younger conspecifics. These results have broad implications for determining drivers of parental care trade‐offs and how individuals assess the value of a brood.     

The effect of habitat quality on foraging patterns, provisioning rate and nestling growth in Corsican Blue Tits Parus caeruleus

Many bird species face seasonal and spatial variation in the availability of the specific food required to rear chicks. Caterpillar availability is often identified as the most important factor determining chick quality and breeding success in forest birds, such as tits Parus spp. It is assumed that parents play an important role in mediating the effect of environment on chick development. A reduction in prey availability should therefore result in increased foraging effort to maintain the amount of food required for optimal chick development. To investigate the capacity of adults to compensate for a reduction in food supply, we compared the foraging behaviour of Blue Tits Parus caeruleus breeding in rich and poor habitats in Corsica. We monitored the foraging effort of adults using radiotelemetry. We also identified and quantified prey items provided to nestlings by using a video camera mounted on the nest. We found that the mean travelling distance of adults was twice as great in the poor habitat as it was in the rich. Despite the marked difference in foraging distance, the proportion of optimal prey (caterpillars) in the diet of the chicks and the total biomass per hour per chick did not differ between the two habitats. We argue that relationships between habitat richness, offspring quality and breeding success cannot be understood adequately without quantifying parental effort.