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Context-dependent honest begging in Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea): influence of food availability

Context-dependent honest begging in Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea): influence of food... A key question in parent-offspring conflict is if provisioning is controlled primarily by parents or by their offspring, and how this interaction is mediated behaviourally. We recorded the vocalisations of chicks of Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) during feeding sessions in a season with abundant food. Cory’s shearwater chicks conveyed information about their body condition through begging, and parents were responsive to the level of solicitation. In order to test experimentally for the effects of saturation on begging, we supplemented chicks’ food. Observational and experimental data both indicated that satiated chicks did not beg, and consequently no feeding occurred. Adults decreased their attendance following the decreased demand of supplemented chicks. We compare the results with data from a poor breeding season. The data suggest that only during the good season was variation in begging large enough to be detected and to serve as a reliable signal to the parents. Our results are in line with the predictions of a recent model indicating that begging signals were most informative to the parents in a context when there was a class of satiated individuals which stand to gain no benefit from the resource (and hence will refrain from signalling). http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png acta ethologica Springer Journals

Context-dependent honest begging in Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea): influence of food availability

Quillfeldt, Petra; Masello, Juan
acta ethologica , Volume 7 (2) – Oct 23, 2004
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Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 by Springer-Verlag and ISPA
Subject
LifeSciences
ISSN
0873-9749
eISSN
1437-9546
DOI
10.1007/s10211-004-0100-6
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

A key question in parent-offspring conflict is if provisioning is controlled primarily by parents or by their offspring, and how this interaction is mediated behaviourally. We recorded the vocalisations of chicks of Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) during feeding sessions in a season with abundant food. Cory’s shearwater chicks conveyed information about their body condition through begging, and parents were responsive to the level of solicitation. In order to test experimentally for the effects of saturation on begging, we supplemented chicks’ food. Observational and experimental data both indicated that satiated chicks did not beg, and consequently no feeding occurred. Adults decreased their attendance following the decreased demand of supplemented chicks. We compare the results with data from a poor breeding season. The data suggest that only during the good season was variation in begging large enough to be detected and to serve as a reliable signal to the parents. Our results are in line with the predictions of a recent model indicating that begging signals were most informative to the parents in a context when there was a class of satiated individuals which stand to gain no benefit from the resource (and hence will refrain from signalling).

Journal

acta ethologica – Springer Journals

Published: Oct 23, 2004

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