Parental care in the wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe: effects of nestling age and brood size

Abstract:

Changes in different aspects of parental care of Wheatears with nestling age and brood size were studied over 4 yr in two Swedish breeding populations. Some broods were enlarged or reduced to increase the range of observed brood sizes. The proportion of time females spent brooding decreased with nestling age until day 8, but the mean duration of brooding bouts did not, implying that females reduced the frequency of brooding bouts as homeothermic capacity of the young improved. Females reduced mean bout duration with brood size but not the total time spent brooding. The different effects of nestling age and brood size, and the negative effect of females' feeding rates on brooding commitment suggest that the food requirements of the young may affect female brooding behaviour independently of the homeothermic capacity of the young. Feeding rates of males and females increased similarly throughout …

Año de publicación:

1987

Keywords:

Fuente:

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