Sex differences in parental response to begging nestlings in superb fairy-wrens

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dc.contributor.authorMacgregor, Nicholas
dc.contributor.authorCockburn, Andrew
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-13T22:17:32Z
dc.date.issued2002
dc.date.updated2015-12-11T07:35:03Z
dc.description.abstractDescriptive studies of provisioning in cooperatively breeding superb fairy-wrens, Malurus cyaneus, show that females are responsive to the needs of the brood, increasing nest visits with brood size and age. Both dominant and helper males provision at a constant rate regardless of brood size and age, but dominant males reduce provisioning as the number of helpers increases. This reduction could reflect load lightening or reduced relatedness, as dominants are more likely to be cuckolded by extragroup males when they have helpers. To distinguish between these alternatives we conducted playback experiments that augmented the natural begging of 6-day-old nestlings with the calls of 4-day-old nestlings (control) or the much louder calls of 10-day-old nestlings (experimental treatment). We presented playbacks to the female alone, all birds, or males alone. We predicted that females would always respond to increased begging, helper males would not respond, and dominant males would always respond (load-lightening hypothesis) or respond when they had paternity in the brood (relatedness hypothesis). Contrary to these predictions, males always responded and females did not. Females may require additional stimulation or alternative cues in order to respond. Dominant males spend less time at the nest, and may judge nestling need on the basis of simpler cues. They may always feed as little as possible to minimize their commitment to nestlings to which they are unlikely to be related. However, they may increase their response when they lack helpers, or females are unable to meet the demands of the brood.
dc.identifier.issn0003-3472
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/71195
dc.publisherAcademic Press
dc.sourceAnimal Behaviour
dc.subjectKeywords: begging behavior; cooperative breeding; parental care; passerine; sex-related difference; Aves; Malurus cyaneus; Troglodytinae
dc.titleSex differences in parental response to begging nestlings in superb fairy-wrens
dc.typeJournal article
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage932
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage923
local.contributor.affiliationMacgregor, Nicholas, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationCockburn, Andrew, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.authoremailu8302869@anu.edu.au
local.contributor.authoruidMacgregor, Nicholas, u9814738
local.contributor.authoruidCockburn, Andrew, u8302869
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.description.refereedYes
local.identifier.absfor060201 - Behavioural Ecology
local.identifier.ariespublicationMigratedxPub2602
local.identifier.citationvolume63
local.identifier.doi10.1006/anbe.2001.1991
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-0036314140
local.identifier.uidSubmittedByMigrated
local.type.statusPublished Version

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