Parental Care of Fledged Young, Division of Labor, and the Development of Foraging Techniques in the Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe L.)

Abstract:

The care of fledged young by parents and the interactions between parents and young were studied in seven broods of Northern Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe L.) in an agricultural area near Uppsala, central Sweden. Time budgets of young and the development of foraging skills were also quantified. Young of the same brood were observed out of the nestholes on the 15th or 16th day after hatching. The parents did not divide the brood until day 3 or 4, day 1 being the 16th day after hatching (assuming that all young fledged on the 15th day). Full stability of family units, with no transfers of responsibility for feeding specific young, was achieved on days 3-8. Both parents fed their respective groups of young at different sites, and young of the same family unit appeared to be aggregated in the territories. They perched nearer to each other on average than to young fed by the other parent. These results support the …

Año de publicación:

1984

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Fuente:

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