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Nestling testosterone is associated with begging behaviour and fledging success in the pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca
Animal signals are hypothesized to be costly in order to honestly reflect individual quality. Offspring solicitation signals given by nestling birds are thought to have evolved to advertise either need or individual quality. We tested the potential role of testosterone (T) in controlling the intensity of these signals by measuring begging behaviour as: (i) duration of the begging display and (ii) maximum height of the begging stretch, and by sampling endogenous T levels in nestling blood. We tested nestling pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) using well-established experimental paradigm involving transient food deprivation to encourage begging behaviour and then blood-sampled nestlings at the end of these tests for T levels. Our results show that individual nestlings with the most intense begging displays had the highest circulating levels of T immediately after testing. In addition, we found substantial differences between broods in terms of circulating T. Finally, we found evidence that broods with higher levels of T showed increased fledging success, indicating a benefit for increased T production in nestlings. The potential trade-offs involved in T-mediated begging behaviour are discussed.
History
Journal
Proceedings of the royal society : B supplementVolume
273Issue
1582Pagination
71 - 76Publisher
The Royal Society PublishingLocation
London, EnglandISSN
0962-8452eISSN
1420-9101Language
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalUsage metrics
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No categories selectedKeywords
offspring solicitationbegging behaviourtestosteronesignallingScience & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineBiologyEcologyEvolutionary BiologyLife Sciences & Biomedicine - Other TopicsEnvironmental Sciences & EcologyPARENT-OFFSPRING CONFLICTMALE HOUSE SPARROWSMATERNAL TESTOSTERONESTRESS-RESPONSEBROOD SIZECHICKSCORTICOSTERONEGROWTHNEEDPREDATION
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