Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cristol, D. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Cristol, D. A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1995 International Society for Behavioral Ecology

research-article

Early arrival, initiation of nesting, and social status: an experimental study of breeding female red-winged blackbirds

Daniel A. Cristol

Program in Animal Behavior, Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, IN 47405, USA Animal Behavior Program, University of California Davis, CA 95616-8734. USA

ABSTRACT

Red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) arrive at breeding sites several months before nests are constructed. Males in this highly polygynous species presumably return early to defend desirable territories. Females, however, also begin to arrive almost two months before nesting is attempted. Early return to breeding sites could enhance reproductive success by increasing a female's social status and thereby allowing earlier nesting. I measured the effect of experimentally delayed arrival on the timing of nesting, reproductive success, and social status of females. Birds were captured as they arrived in early spring and detained in an aviary. These experimental females were later released at their capture sites before control females began construction of nests; controls had arrived during the same period as experimentals but were not detained. Experimental females nested, on average, more than a week later than controls, although I could detect no effect of timing on reproductive success during this study. By manipulating arrival date, but not covariates of arrival time such as age or experience, this result indicates that timing of arrival directly influenced laying date. Delayed females were subordinate to control females with the same mate. This decline in social status may have been responsible for the delay in nesting and could have fitness consequences for females in some years, because the offspring of earlier nesting, dominant birds are more likely to receive male parental care in this population.

Key words: Agelaius phoeniceus, clutch initiation, delayed arrival, female arrival time, red-winged blackbird, social dominance, timing of reproduction. [Behav Ecol 6: 87–93 (1995)].


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Behav EcolHome page
M. Schaub, L. Jenni, and F. Bairlein
Fuel stores, fuel accumulation, and the decision to depart from a migration stopover site
Behav. Ecol., February 27, 2008; (2008) arn023v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Behav EcolHome page
F. Sergio, J. Blas, M. G. Forero, J. A. Donazar, and F. Hiraldo
Sequential settlement and site dependence in a migratory raptor
Behav. Ecol., September 1, 2007; 18(5): 811 - 821.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Behav EcolHome page
G. B. Gronstol, I. Byrkjedal, and O. Fiksen
Predicting polygynous settlement while incorporating varying female competitive strength
Behav. Ecol., March 1, 2003; 14(2): 257 - 267.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.