Blackbirds mate choice: dependence of male social status on age and morphology in an urban population of the European Blackbird, Turdus merula L.

• Autorzy: Jarska K. , Jankowiak L. , Smietana P. , Wysocki D.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The differences in morphology and age between single and paired males of an urban population of the European Blackbirds (Turdus merula) were studied in Żeromski park in the city of Szczecin (NW Poland) spanning 11 breeding seasons since 1998. The proportion of single to paired males in different age groups was established. Also, morphology features like the length of tail, wing and tarsus of 45 single males and 475 paired males were collected. We found that old males (after second year of life) formed pair bonds more often than the young males (in their second year of life). The probability of being a paired male in case of young males increased along with the tarsus length.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

urban population; Blackbird; Turdus merula; breeding season; biometry; mate selection; pair bonding; Szczecin area; Poland

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Ecology
• Rocznik: 2015
• Tom: 63
• Numer: 3
• Opis fizyczny: p.448-452,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Jarska K.

• Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Anthropology, University of Szczecin, Waska 13, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland

autor

Jankowiak L.

• Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Anthropology, University of Szczecin, Waska 13, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland

autor

Smietana P.

• Department of Ecology and Environment Protection, University of Szczecin, Waska 13, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland

autor

Wysocki D.

• Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Anthropology, University of Szczecin, Waska 13, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland

Bibliografia

• A. Bright, J.R. Waas 2002 — Effects of bill pigmentation and UV reflectance during territory establishment in blackbirds — Anim. Behav. 64: 207–213.
• F. Cézilly, V. Boy, C.J. Tourenq, A.R. Johnson 1997 — Age-assortative mating in the greater flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber roseus — Ibis, 139: 331–336.
• A. Desrochers, R.D. Magrath 1993 — Environmental predictability and remating in European blackbirds — Behav. Ecol. 4: 271–275.
• A. Desrochers, R.D. Magrath 1996 — Divorce in the European blackbird: seeking greener pastures (In: Partnerships in birds: the study of monogamy, Ed. J.M. Black) — Oxford Univ. Press, pp. 344–401.
• B. Faivre, M. Préault, M. Théry, J. Secondi, B. Patris, F. Céziliy 2001 — Breeding strategy and morphological characters in an urban population of blackbirds, Turdus merula — Anim. Behav. 61: 969–974.
• M.R. Gibson, A.T. Langen 1996 — How do animals choose their mates — Trends Ecol. Evol. 11: 468–470.
• N. Hesler, R. Mundry, T. Sacher, T. Coppack, F. Bairlain, T. Dabelsteen 2010 — Song repertoire size correlates with measures of body size in European blackbirds — Behaviour, 149: 645–665.
• G.E. Hill, P.M. Nolan, A.M. Stoehr 1999 — Pairing success relative to plumage redness and pigment symmetry in the house finch: temporal and geographic constancy — Behav. Ecol. 10: 48–53.
• J.D. Hosken, M.C. House 2011 — Sexual selection — Curr. Biol. 21: 62–65.
• M.L. Leonard, J. Picman 1987 — Nesting mortality and habitat selection by Marsh Wrens — The Auk, 104: 491–495.
• C. Mateos, J. Carranza 1995 — Female choice for morphological features of male ring-necked pheasants — Anim. Behav. 49: 737–748.
• L.E. O'Brien, D.R. Dawson 2010 — Plumage color and food availability affect male reproductive success in a socially monogamous bird — Behav. Ecol. 22: 66–72.
• J. Partecke, T.J. Van't Hof, E. Gwinner 2005 — Underlying physiological control of reproduction in urban and forest-dwelling European blackbirds Turdus merula — J. Avian. Biol. 36: 295–305.
• T.D. Price 1984. — Sexual selection on body size on body size, territory and plumage variables in a population of Darwins finches — Evolution, 38: 327–341.
• J.P. Probst, J.R. Hayes 1987 — Pairing success of Kirtland's Warblers in marginal vs. suitable habitat — Auk, 104: 234–241.
• R Core Team 2014 — R: A language and environment for statistical computing — R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. http://www.R-project.org/.
• S. Rohwer 1982 — The evolution of reliable and unreliable badges of fighting ability — Am. Zool. 22: 531–546.
• J.M. Ryan, L.K. Akre, M. Kirkpatrick 2007 — Mate choice — Curr. Biol. 17: 313–316.
• M.P. Sirkiä, T. Laaksonen 2009 — Distinguishing between male and territory quality: females choose multiple traits in the pied flycatcher — Anim. Behav. 78: 1051–1060.
• A.C. Smith, K. Koper, C.M. Francis, L. Fahrig 2009 — Confronting collinearity: comparing methods for disentangling the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation — Landscape Ecol. 24: 1271–1285.
• D.W. Snow 1988 — A study of Blackbirds, 2nd ed. British Museum of Natural History. London, UK.
• M. Streif, O.A.E. Rasa 2001 — Divorce and its consequences in the Common Blackbird Turdus merula — Ibis, 143: 554–560.
• L. Svensson 1992 — Identification Guide to European Passerines. British Trust for Ornithology — Stockholm, pp. 368.
• D. Wysocki 2002 — Biometrical analysis of an urban population of the Blackbird (Turdus merula) in Szczecin (NW Poland) — Ring, 24: 69–76.
• D. Wysocki 2004a — Within-season divorce rate in an urban population of European blackbird Turdus merula — Ardea, 92: 219–228.
• D. Wysocki 2004b — Alternative mating strategies in the urban population of European blackbird Turdus merula in Szczecin (NW Poland) — Ardea, 92: 103–112.
• D. Wysocki 2006 — Factors affecting the between — season divorce rate in the urban population of the European Blackbird Turdus merula in north-western Poland — Acta Ornithol. 41: 71–78.
• D. Wysocki, J. Adamowicz, R. Kościów, P. Śmietana 2004 — The size of breeding territory in an urban population of the Blackbird (Turdus merula) in Szczecin (NW Poland) — Ornis Fenn. 81: 1–12.
• D. Wysocki, B. Kiriaka 2007 — Wing to tail length ratio in European Blackbirds (Turdus merula L.) of different age — Pol. J. Ecol. 55: 121–125.

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.3161/15052249PJE2015.63.3.014