Sex ratios of hatchling Mourning Doves

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 871-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne R. Edmunds ◽  
C. Davison Ankney
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Mourning Dove ◽  
Seasonal Effect ◽  
Zenaida Macroura ◽  
Family Types ◽  
Offspring Sex ◽  
Mourning Doves

The sex of 306 Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) chicks from 153 two-egg clutches laid during March–August 1984 was determined by gonadal inspection. Sex of offspring was unrelated to egg sequence over the entire breeding season. There was, however, a seasonal effect on the sex versus egg sequence pattern, particularly in broods with both sexes: during the middle of the breeding season males predominated in first eggs and females in second eggs but this pattern was reversed late in the season. All other comparisons, i.e., overall sex ratio, seasonal changes in sex ratio, binomial distribution of family types, and the relation between egg size and offspring sex, were nonsignificant.

scholarly journals Using Fecal Glucocorticoids for Stress Assessment in Mourning Doves

The Condor ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. 696-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian E. Washburn ◽  
Joshua J. Millspaugh ◽  
John H. Schulz ◽  
Susan B. Jones ◽  
Tony Mong
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Mourning Dove ◽  
Zenaida Macroura ◽  
Acth Challenge ◽  
Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Mourning Doves ◽  
Para Determinar ◽  
Fecal Glucocorticoids ◽  
Fecal Glucocorticoid

Abstract Fecal glucocorticoid assays provide a potentially useful, noninvasive means to study physiological responses of wildlife to various stressors. The objective of our study was to validate a method for measuring glucocorticoid metabolites in Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) feces. We validated the assay using standard procedures (e.g., parallelism, recovery of exogenous corticosterone) to demonstrate that the assay accurately and precisely measured glucocorticoid metabolites in Mourning Dove fecal extracts. We conducted adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) challenge experiments to validate the assay's ability to determine biologically important changes in fecal glucocorticoids. Fecal glucocorticoid levels increased significantly approximately 2–3 hr after administration of ACTH at 50 IU per kg body mass to wild Mourning Doves held in captivity. In contrast, fecal glucocorticoid metabolites did not increase in control birds, birds that received saline injections, or a lower dose of ACTH (1 IU per kg body mass). Variation in overall fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels may have been influenced by season and the length of time birds were held in captivity. Noninvasive fecal glucocorticoid metabolite analyses, in combination with demographic information, may have considerable utility for monitoring the effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on Mourning Dove populations. Uso de Glucocorticoides Fecales Para Evaluar el Estrés en Zenaida macroura Resumen. Las evaluaciones de glucocorticoides fecales representan un medio no invasor potencialmente útil para estudiar las respuestas fisiológicas de los animales silvestres ante agentes causantes de estrés. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue validar un método para medir metabolitos glucocorticoides en heces de palomas Zenaida macroura. Validamos el método mediante procedimientos estándar (e.g., paralelismo, recuperación de corticosterona exógena) para demostrar que éste mide con exactitud y precisión los metabolitos glucocorticoides en extractos fecales de Z. macroura. Realizamos experimentos de desafío con adrenocorticotropina (ACTH) para validar la habilidad que tenía el método para determinar cambios biológicamente importantes en los glucocorticoides fecales. Los niveles de glucocorticoides fecales aumentaron de forma significativa aproximadamente 2–3 hr después de la administración de ACTH a 50 IU por kg de peso corporal a palomas silvestres mantenidas en cautiverio. En contraste, los metabolitos glucocorticoides fecales no aumentaron en aves control, ni en aves que recibieron inyecciones salinas o una menor dosis de ACTH (1 IU por kg de peso corporal). La variación en los niveles generales de metabolitos glucocorticoides fecales podría haber sido influenciada por la estación y la longitud del período de tiempo en que las aves fueron mantenidas en cautiverio. Los análisis no invasores de metabolitos glucocorticoides, en combinación con información demográfica, podrían ser de considerable utilidad para monitorear los efectos de los disturbios naturales y antropogénicos sobre las poblaciones de Z. macroura.

scholarly journals Breeding ecology and bias in offspring sex ratio in little grassbirds (Megalurus gramineus)

2003 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca R. McIntosh ◽  
Romke Kats ◽  
Mathew Berg ◽  
Jan Komdeur ◽  
Mark A. Elgar
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Sex Allocation ◽  
Breeding Ecology ◽  
Offspring Sex Ratio ◽  
Reed Beds ◽  
Primary Sex Ratio ◽  
Sex Ratio Bias ◽  
Offspring Sex

Little grassbirds (Megalurus gramineus) are small, sexually monomorphic passerines that live in reed beds, lignum swamps and salt marshes in southern Australia. The breeding biology and patterns of sex allocation of the little grassbird were investigated over a single breeding season. Our observations of this species in the Edithvale Wetland Reserve revealed a highly male-biased population sex ratio, with some breeding territories containing several additional males. Nevertheless, there was little compelling evidence that little grassbirds breed cooperatively. The growth rates of male and female nestlings were similar and, as predicted by theory, there was no overall primary sex ratio bias. However, the primary sex ratio was female-biased early in the breeding season and became increasingly male-biased later in the breeding season.

scholarly journals Seasonal Changes in Brood Sex Composition in Audouin's Gulls

The Condor ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. 783-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meritxell Genovart ◽  
Daniel Oro ◽  
Xavier Ruiz ◽  
Richard Griffiths ◽  
Pat Monaghan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Egg Size ◽  
Food Provisioning ◽  
Chick Survival ◽  
Sex Composition ◽  
The Third ◽  
Offspring Sex ◽  
Parental Provisioning ◽  
Chick Size ◽  
Larus Audouinii

AbstractWe examined seasonal variation in the hatching sex ratio of Audouin's Gull (Larus audouinii). This species is sexually size dimorphic (males are 20% larger than females at fledging); it has a modal clutch of three eggs, which vary in size (the third egg is the smallest) and hatch asynchronously. These sex, egg size, and hatching patterns generate substantial within-brood differences in chick size that interact with the food provisioning of the parents to influence chick survival. Parental provisioning capacity depends on both parental quality and environmental conditions, both of which are known to decline with season. Consequently, the optimal brood composition is likely to vary within a season. Using molecular markers to sex newly hatched chicks, we found that offspring sex was influenced by an interaction between hatching date and hatching order, with the proportion of males among third-hatched chicks initially increasing and then decreasing later in the season.Cambios Estacionales en la Proporción de Sexos de las Polladas en Larus audouiniiResumen. En el presente trabajo examinamos la variación estacional en la proporción de sexos de los pollos de Larus audouinii en el momento de la eclosión. Esta especie es sexualmente dimórfica (los machos son un 20% mayores que las hembras al acabar su crecimiento), tiene una puesta modal de tres huevos, que varían en tamaño (el tercero es el menor) y eclosionan asincrónicamente. Estos patrones de sexo, tamaño del huevo y orden de eclosión generan diferencias sustanciales en el tamaño de los pollos dentro de la pollada, los que a su vez interaccionan con la provisión de alimento de los progenitores influyendo la supervivencia de cada pollo. La capacidad de proveer alimento dependerá de la calidad parental y de las condiciones ambientales, las cuales suelen disminuir a lo largo de la estación reproductora. En consecuencia, la composición óptima de la pollada probablemente varía en cada estación. Una vez identificado de sexo de los pollos mediante técnicas moleculares, encontramos que el sexo de la progenie estuvo influenciado por la interacción entre la fecha de eclosión y el orden de eclosión, de modo que la proporción de machos en los huevos eclosionados en tercer lugar incrementó inicialmente y luego disminuyó al final de la estación.

A preliminary survey for avian pathogens in Columbiform birds on Socorro Island, Mexico.

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saturnino Yanga ◽  
Juan E Martinez-Gomez ◽  
Ravinder N M Sehgal ◽  
Patricia Escalante ◽  
Frank Carlos Camacho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Amplification ◽  
Cloacal Swab ◽  
Mourning Dove ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Zenaida Macroura ◽  
Trichomonas Gallinae ◽  
Socorro Island ◽  
Disease Risks ◽  
Mourning Doves ◽  
Avian Pox

To assess the potential disease risks posed by resident Columbiformes to the reintroduction of the Socorro Dove Zenaida graysoni to Socorro Island, Mexico, the endemic Socorro Ground Dove Columbina passerina socorrensis and the recently arrived Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura, were screened for ecto- and endoparsites, haemosporidia, Trichomonas gallinae, Chlamydophila psittaci and avian pox. All of the Mourning Doves and Socorro Ground Doves sampled appeared healthy upon capture. We detected Haemoproteus spp. in 88% of Mourning Dove and 30% of Socorro Ground Dove samples using microscopy. Two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) DNA amplification methods detected either Haemoproteus spp. or Plasmodium spp. Pooling results from both tests yielded positives in 100% of the Mourning Doves and 52% of the Socorro Ground Doves. A nested PCR detected Leucocytozoon spp. in 94% of the Mourning Doves and 61% of the Socorro Ground Doves sampled. Thus, at least two genera of haemosporidia are present in columbids of Socorro Island. Microscopy for T. gallinae yielded positives in 33% of Mourning Dove and 30% of Socorro Ground Dove samples. C. psittaci was not detected using PCR on either cloacal swab samples or tissue samples from tested Mourning Doves or Socorro Ground Doves. Necropsies revealed neither lesions indicative of the wet form of avian pox, nor internal lesions associated with trichomoniasis. These results suggest that Socorro Doves selected for reintroduction should be screened carefully to evaluate potential immunological challenges by native haemosporidians and to avoid introduction of other diseases apparently absent from native Columbiformes on Socorro Island.

Serendipity with chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae, Philopteridae) infesting rock pigeons and mourning doves (Aves: Columbiformes: Columbidae) in Manitoba, with new records for North America and Canada

2008 ◽  
Vol 140 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry D. Galloway ◽  
Ricardo L. Palma
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
New Records ◽  
Columba Livia ◽  
The Other ◽  
Mourning Dove ◽  
Zenaida Macroura ◽  
Chewing Lice ◽  
Extensive Survey ◽  
Rock Pigeon ◽  
Mourning Doves

AbstractAn extensive survey of chewing lice from rock pigeon, Columba livia Gmelin, and mourning dove, Zenaida macroura (L.), carried out from 1994 to 2000 and from 2003 to 2006 in Manitoba, Canada, produced the following new records: Colocerastovornikae Tendeiro for North America; Columbicola macrourae (Wilson), Hohorstiellalata (Piaget), H. paladinella Hill and Tuff, and Physconelloides zenaidurae (McGregor) for Canada; and Bonomiella columbae Emerson, Campanulotes compar (Burmeister), Columbicola baculoides (Paine), and C. columbae (L.) for Manitoba. We collected 25 418 lice of four species (C. compar, C. columbae, H. lata, and C. tovornikae) from 322 rock pigeons. The overall prevalence of infestation was 78.9%, 52.5%, and 23.3% for C. compar, C. columbae, and H. lata, respectively. Coloceras tovornikae was not discovered until 2003, after which its prevalence was 39.9% on 114 pigeons. We collected 1116 lice of five species (P. zenaidurae, C. baculoides, C. macrourae, H. paladinella, and B. columbae) from 117 mourning doves. Physconelloides zenaidurae was encountered most often (prevalence was 36.7%), while the prevalence of the other four species was 26.3%, 18.4%, 3.5%, and 2.6%, respectively.

scholarly journals Male-Biased Offspring Sex Ratio in the House Wren

The Condor ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 881-885
Author(s):  
Shannon M. Janota ◽  
Sheryl Swartz Soukup ◽  
Charles F. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Good Condition ◽  
Reproductive Value ◽  
Troglodytes Aedon ◽  
Offspring Sex Ratio ◽  
House Wren ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Offspring Sex ◽  
Sex Ratio Adjustment

AbstractThe sex-ratio adjustment hypothesis predicts that females should modify offspring sex ratios according to the potential reproductive success of their offspring under existing ecological conditions. We tested this hypothesis in the polygynous, sexually size-monomorphic House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). Typically, nestling House Wrens that hatch in the first half of the three-month breeding season are heavier and have higher rates of survival and recruitment than those that hatch in the second half of the season. Therefore, the sex-ratio adjustment hypothesis predicts that early broods should be more male biased than later broods, because males in good condition have higher reproductive value than females. As conditions deteriorate, broods should become less male biased because female offspring have higher reproductive value than males in poor condition. Contrary to expectation, there was no seasonal decrease in offspring condition, and the sex ratio of broods was consistently male biased throughout the breeding season. We conclude that the results are consistent with the sex-ratio adjustment hypothesis, because in the year of this study female House Wrens were able to produce offspring in similar (and presumably good) condition throughout the breeding season; therefore, they continued to produce broods that were significantly male biased.Sesgo hacia Machos en el Cociente de Sexos de la Prole en Troglodytes aedonResumen. La hipótesis sobre el ajuste del cociente de sexos predice que las hembras deberían modificar el cociente de sexos de la prole en relación al éxito potencial reproductivo de la prole bajo las condiciones ecológicas existentes. Evaluamos esta hipótesis en Troglodytes aedon, especie polígina y sin diferencias sexuales de tamaño. Típicamente, los pichones de T. aedon que eclosionan en la primera mitad de la estación reproductiva (que dura tres meses) son más pesados y presentan tasas de supervivencia y reclutamiento más altas que aquellos que eclosionan en la segunda mitad de la estación. De este modo, la hipótesis sobre el ajuste del cociente de sexos predice que las camadas tempranas deberían estar más sesgadas hacia los machos que las camadas más tardías, ya que los machos en buena condición tienen un valor reproductivo más alto que las hembras. A medida que la condición se deteriora, las camadas deberían estar menos sesgadas hacia los machos debido a que los vástagos de sexo femenino tienen un valor reproductivo más alto que los machos en mala condición. Contrariamente a lo esperado, no hubo una disminución estacional en la condición de la prole, y el cociente de sexos de las camadas estuvo consistentemente sesgado hacia los machos a lo largo de la estación de cría. Concluimos que los resultados son consistentes con la hipótesis sobre el ajuste del cociente de sexos, ya que durante el año de este estudio las hembras de T. aedon fueron capaces de producir proles en condiciones similares (y presumiblemente buenas) a lo largo de la estación de cría. De este modo, las hembras continuaron produciendo camadas que estuvieron significativamente sesgadas hacia los machos.

Influence of temperature and other factors on the daily roosting times of Mourning Doves in winter

1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (7) ◽  
pp. 1287-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis R. Doucette ◽  
Stéphan G. Reebs
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Mourning Dove ◽  
Zenaida Macroura ◽  
Influence Of Temperature ◽  
Reduce Heat Loss ◽  
Recent Addition ◽  
Mourning Doves ◽  
Unusual Finding

From November 1992 to February 1993, observations were made during 30 departures and 30 arrivals at a Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) roost in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Our objective was to identify the effect of cold on the timing of roosting flights in this species, a recent addition to the local wintering fauna. The effect of other environmental factors was taken into account by including them, along with temperature, in a multiple regression analysis. Doves left the roost later relative to sunrise (i) on longer days, (ii) on cloudy mornings, (iii) when fewer birds were using the roosts, (iv) on colder mornings, and (v) when winds were high. They returned to the roost later relative to sunset (i) on colder evenings and (ii) in clear weather. Late arrivals on colder days represent an unusual finding. Anatomical and behavioural considerations suggest that Mourning Doves cannot reduce heat loss as substantially as other species; therefore, late arrivals on cold evenings may reflect the more important role of energy gain through extended foraging required to survive the long winter night.

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