Effect of nestling sex ratio on the provisioning behavior of adult Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis)
Date of Award
January 2011
Degree Type
Open Access Thesis
Document Type
Master Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biological Sciences
First Advisor
Gary Ritchison
Department Affiliation
Biological Sciences
Abstract
To maximize reproductive success, parents may, in some cases, differentially invest in sons and daughters, i.e., sex-biased parental investment. Preferential provisioning behavior has been reported in one population of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and attributed to local resource competition. To better understand this behavior, I studied the provisioning behavior of Eastern Bluebirds in Madison County, Kentucky, in 2004. I experimentally manipulated brood sex ratios in 24 bluebird nests, creating female-biased (N = 8), male-biased (N = 5), and control (N = 11) nests. Following manipulation, nests were video-taped to record adult provisioning behavior. Among experimental broods, the provisioning rates of male and female Eastern Bluebirds were not affected by brood sex ratio (P = 0.58). Similarly, for broods that naturally differed in the number of male and female nestlings (N = 9), I found no effect of brood sex ratio on provisioning rates (P = 0.34).
Female bluebirds provisioned nestlings at higher rates than males (P = 0.0046) and the provisioning rates of adult bluebirds varied with brood size (P = 0.017); with broods of 5 fed at lower rates than broods of either 3 or 4. Because surface area exposure per nestling is reduced in larger broods, nestlings in larger broods may expend energy at lower rates and require less food from adults.
Male and female bluebirds delivered a total of 2363 prey items to nestlings, with males delivering 821 prey items and females 1542 prey items. Of prey items I was able to identify, grasshoppers (Orthoptera) were the most common prey delivered to nestlings by both male and female bluebirds. Other common prey items included Lepidopteran larvae, beetles (Coleoptera), crickets (Orthoptera), worms (Oligochaetaspp.), spiders (Araneae), and cicadas (Hemiptera). Overall, male and female bluebirds delivered similar types of prey to nestlings.
Copyright
Copyright 2011 Barbara Ellen Kieffer
Recommended Citation
Kieffer, Barbara Ellen, "Effect of nestling sex ratio on the provisioning behavior of adult Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis)" (2011). Online Theses and Dissertations. 37.
https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/37
