Clutch size and the costs of incubation in the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca

Abstract:

We manipulated clutch size in a Swedish breeding population of Pied Flycatchers to investigate effects of clutch size on the costs of incubation. Clutches were enlarged respectively reduced with 2 eggs (18 clutches in each group) and compared with 29 simultaneously laid control clutches. There was no relationship between experimental clutch size and laying date. The length of incubation increased significantly with clutch size in a nonlinear fashion. This was mainly due to enlarged clutches being incubated for on average one day longer than control and reduced clutches. Hatching asynchrony also increased significantly with clutch size due to prolonged hatching of enlarged clutches. Hatching success was not affected by the experimental treatment. Females incubating enlarged clutches lost significantly more mass both absolutely and relatively than those incubating reduced clutches. Incubation feeding by males had a …

Año de publicación:

1989

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Fuente:

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