Adaptive phenotypic plasticity in an island songbird exposed to a novel predation risk

Susana I. Peluc, T. Scott Sillett, John T. Rotenberry and Cameron K. Ghalambor

Behavioral Ecology, 2008, vol. 19, issue 4, 830-835

Abstract: Avian nest site selection and levels of parental care require assessments of numerous fitness costs and benefits. Nest site selection in open cup--nesting species is considered a relatively conservative trait; most species and genera are confined to nesting within particular vegetation strata. The nesting stratum further determines risk to nest predation, the principal cause of reproductive failure. We document predator-induced plasticity in nest site placement and levels of parental care in orange-crowned warblers (Vermivora celata) on an island lacking avian nest predators. We show a shift from ground nesting, characteristic of mainland populations, to off-ground nesting that appears adaptive relative to higher predation levels of ground nests. By altering the perceived nest predation risk via experimental introduction of a model avian predator prior to nest building, we demonstrate that warblers shift nest sites to more concealed ground locations. Moreover, warblers differentially adjust nest visits to feed nestlings in the presence of the predator: reducing feeding more at less concealed off-ground nests than at more concealed ground ones. Both shifts in nest site placement and feeding rate adjustments suggest adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to increased perceived predation risk, providing evidence that birds continuously assess variation in the fitness costs and benefits of their behavioral decisions. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.

Date: 2008
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/arn033 (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:beheco:v:19:y:2008:i:4:p:830-835

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://academic.oup.com/journals

Access Statistics for this article

Behavioral Ecology is currently edited by Louise Barrett

More articles in Behavioral Ecology from International Society for Behavioral Ecology Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Oxford University Press ().