scholarly journals Chemical analysis reveals sex differences in the preen gland secretion of breeding Blue Tits

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara A. Caspers ◽  
Reinaldo Marfull ◽  
Tim Dannenhaus ◽  
Jan Komdeur ◽  
Peter Korsten
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Visual Signals ◽  
Gland Secretion ◽  
Preen Gland ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
Blue Tits

AbstractAcoustic and visual signals are well known to play important roles in social communication in birds. Growing evidence suggests that many bird species, including species of songbirds, additionally have a well-developed sense of smell. However, we are still at the beginning of understanding the potential importance of chemical communication in the social lives of birds, for example in mate choice. The secretion of the preen gland may be an important contributor to the chemical phenotype of birds. Here, we report on a first characterisation of the chemical composition of the preen gland secretion of the Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), a common songbird which is an often used model species in animal behaviour and ecology, in particular also in studies of sexual selection and (extra-pair) mate choice. We found sex differences in the composition of the preen gland secretion in breeding Blue Tits. Females further tended to have a larger number of putative compounds in their secretions compared to males. We briefly discuss the possible implications of these findings and speculate that the chemical composition of the preen gland secretion may be a sexually selected trait in Blue Tits. Our preliminary findings warrant follow-up research into the patterns of within- and among individual variation in the chemical composition of the preen gland secretion as well as the identification of the main chemical compounds involved.

scholarly journals Testing for effects of climate change on competitive relationships and coexistence between two bird species

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1807) ◽  
pp. 20141958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nils Chr. Stenseth ◽  
Joël M. Durant ◽  
Mike S. Fowler ◽  
Erik Matthysen ◽  
Frank Adriaensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Relative Equilibrium ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Climate Variation ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Threshold Time ◽  
Blue Tits

Climate change is expected to have profound ecological effects, yet shifts in competitive abilities among species are rarely studied in this context. Blue tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus ) and great tits ( Parus major ) compete for food and roosting sites, yet coexist across much of their range. Climate change might thus change the competitive relationships and coexistence between these two species. Analysing four of the highest-quality, long-term datasets available on these species across Europe, we extend the textbook example of coexistence between competing species to include the dynamic effects of long-term climate variation. Using threshold time-series statistical modelling, we demonstrate that long-term climate variation affects species demography through different influences on density-dependent and density-independent processes. The competitive interaction between blue tits and great tits has shifted in one of the studied sites, creating conditions that alter the relative equilibrium densities between the two species, potentially disrupting long-term coexistence. Our analyses show that long-term climate change can, but does not always, generate local differences in the equilibrium conditions of spatially structured species assemblages. We demonstrate how long-term data can be used to better understand whether (and how), for instance, climate change might change the relationships between coexisting species. However, the studied populations are rather robust against competitive exclusion.

scholarly journals Genetic structure of urban and non-urban populations differs between two common parid species

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Markowski ◽  
Piotr Minias ◽  
Mirosława Bańbura ◽  
Michał Glądalski ◽  
Adam Kaliński ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Urban Forest ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Urban Park ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Habitat Variation ◽  
Blue Tits

AbstractLandscape conversions induced by human activities can affect dispersal patterns of various bird species and, as a result, affect genetic structure of their populations. Genetic differentiation of bird populations may be enhanced by habitat variation, especially in urban-non-urban systems. The majority of population genetic studies focus on single species, which inflicts limitations for direct comparisons of genetic responses of avian populations to urbanization. Here, we used a set of microsatellite markers to examine genetic diversity, gene flow and population structure in two common parid species, great tits Parus major and blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus occupying three sites in habitats with contrasting urbanization level in central Poland. We found low but significant divergence of urban park population with both suburban and non-urban forest great tit populations, while no differentiation was found between suburban forest and non-urban forest populations. In contrast, no evidence for genetic differentiation was found between blue tit populations from the urban park, suburban forest and non-urban forest sites. We conclude that great tits and blue tits respond to urbanization-related changes in a different way, which may be a result of different rates of migration and/or dispersal, likely higher in blue tits. Some impact may be also induced by interspecific competition. We suggest that changing the focus of urban genetic research from single to multiple species may provide novel insights into how natural populations respond to the processes of urbanization.

scholarly journals Social learning of acoustic anti-predator cues occurs between wild bird species

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1920) ◽  
pp. 20192513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara C. Keen ◽  
Ella F. Cole ◽  
Michael J. Sheehan ◽  
Ben C. Sheldon
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Antipredator Behaviour ◽  
Acoustic Cues ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Direct Experience ◽  
Blue Tits

In many species, individuals gather information about their environment both through direct experience and through information obtained from others. Social learning, or the acquisition of information from others, can occur both within and between species and may facilitate the rapid spread of antipredator behaviour. Within birds, acoustic signals are frequently used to alert others to the presence of predators, and individuals can quickly learn to associate novel acoustic cues with predation risk. However, few studies have addressed whether such learning occurs only though direct experience or whether it has a social component, nor whether such learning can occur between species. We investigate these questions in two sympatric species of Parids: blue tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus ) and great tits ( Parus major ). Using playbacks of unfamiliar bird vocalizations paired with a predator model in a controlled aviary setting, we find that blue tits can learn to associate a novel sound with predation risk via direct experience, and that antipredator response to the sound can be socially transmitted to heterospecific observers, despite lack of first-hand experience. Our results suggest that social learning of acoustic cues can occur between species. Such interspecific social information transmission may help to mediate the formation of mixed-species aggregations.

scholarly journals Personality in Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) and its Effect on Their Breeding Success

Ethology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 122 (8) ◽  
pp. 695-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Colchester ◽  
Nancy M. Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Success ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Blue Tits

scholarly journals Effect of tree logging on reproductive performance in Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)

2016 ◽  
Vol 158 (1) ◽  
pp. 339-344
Author(s):  
Seyed Mehdi Amininasab ◽  
Charles C. Y. Xu ◽  
Sjouke A. Kingma ◽  
Jan Komdeur
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Blue Tits

scholarly journals Integrated behavioural and stable isotope data reveal altered diet linked to low breeding success in urban-dwelling blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Pollock ◽  
Pablo Capilla-Lasheras ◽  
Rona A. R. McGill ◽  
Barbara Helm ◽  
Davide M. Dominoni
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Isotope Data ◽  
Blue Tits ◽  
Stable Isotope Data

Does the Threat of European Pine Marten (Martes Martes) Predation Influence the Height of Nests Built by Blue Tits(Cyanistes Caeruleus)and Great Tits (Parus Major)?

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Kaliński ◽  
Jarosław Wawrzyniak ◽  
Mirosława Bańbura ◽  
Joanna Skwarska ◽  
Piotr Zieliński ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parus Major ◽  
Martes Martes ◽  
Pine Marten ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Blue Tits ◽  
European Pine Marten

scholarly journals Chromaticity in the UV/blue range facilitates the search for achromatically background-matching prey in birds

2008 ◽  
Vol 364 (1516) ◽  
pp. 511-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Stobbe ◽  
Marina Dimitrova ◽  
Sami Merilaita ◽  
H. Martin Schaefer
Keyword(s):  
Search Task ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Chromatic Contrast ◽  
Background Matching ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Chromatic Cues ◽  
Blue Range ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Chromatic Properties ◽  
Blue Tits

A large variety of predatory species rely on their visual abilities to locate their prey. However, the search for prey may be hampered by prey camouflage. The most prominent example of concealing coloration is background-matching prey coloration characterized by a strong visual resemblance of prey to the background. Even though this principle of camouflage was recognized to efficiently work in predator avoidance a long time ago, the underlying mechanisms are not very well known. In this study, we assessed whether blue tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus ) use chromatic cues in the search for prey. We used two prey types that were achromatically identical but differed in chromatic properties in the UV/blue range and presented them on two achromatically identical backgrounds. The backgrounds had either the same chromatic properties as the prey items (matching combination) or differed in their chromatic properties (mismatching combination). Our results show that birds use chromatic cues in the search for mismatching prey, whereupon chromatic contrast leads to a ‘pop-out’ of the prey item from the background. When prey was presented on a matching background, search times were significantly higher. Interestingly, search for more chromatic prey on the matching background was easier than search for less chromatic prey on the matching background. Our results indicate that birds use both achromatic and chromatic cues when searching for prey, and that the combination of both cues might be helpful in the search task.

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