Dual function of egg-covering in the Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Contribuinte(s) |
UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO |
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Data(s) |
11/09/2013
11/09/2013
2012
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Resumo |
Many bird species take recesses during incubation, and while the nests are unattended, the eggs may both be vulnerable to predation and reach suboptimal temperatures for embryo development. Perhaps to avoid these negative possibilities, some birds cover their eggs with materials when they depart from nests. We examined experimentally, using the ground-nesting Kentish plover as model species, whether egg-covering allows egg temperatures to remain within optimal limits for embryogenesis in unattended nests, thus reducing the requirements of contact incubation, and simultaneously maintain the eggs' camouflage. There was a negative relationship between nest attendance and ambient temperature, but only during mid-morning, the period of the day when egg-covering was most frequent. Indeed, during mid-morning egg-covering not only served to better camouflage the eggs, but also to maintain egg temperatures within optimal thermal thresholds for embryogenesis while the nests remained unattended. During other periods of the day, covered eggs in unattended nests overheated (e.g., afternoon) or did not reach the optimal temperature for embryogenesis (e.g., early morning). During periods in which eggs may be uncovered to alleviate overheating, unattended nests may be easier to locate by predators, because the eggs are less well camouflaged. Therefore, camouflage and appropriate thermal environment are inseparable functions of egg-covering in the ground-nesting Kentish plover. Direccion General de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica Direccion General de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica [PB95-0110] Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, Spain Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, Spain [CGL2011-24230] EUERDF EU-ERDF |
Identificador |
BEHAVIOUR, LEIDEN, v. 149, n. 8, supl., Part 3, pp. 881-895, NOV, 2012 0005-7959 http://www.producao.usp.br/handle/BDPI/33250 10.1163/1568539X-00003008 |
Idioma(s) |
eng |
Publicador |
BRILL ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS LEIDEN |
Relação |
BEHAVIOUR |
Direitos |
restrictedAccess Copyright BRILL ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS |
Palavras-Chave | #EGG BURIAL #EGG CRYPSIS #INCUBATION #NEST ATTENDANCE #SHOREBIRDS #THERMAL ENVIRONMENT #SNOWY PLOVERS #PARENTAL BEHAVIOR #YELLOW WARBLERS #PENDULINE TITS #NEST SURVIVAL #INCUBATION #CRYPSIS #DESERTION #BURIAL #THERMOREGULATION #BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES #ZOOLOGY |
Tipo |
article original article publishedVersion |