Food supply controls the body condition of a migrant bird wintering in the tropics.

Oecologia
David R Brown, Thomas W Sherry

Abstract

The hypothesis that migratory bird populations are limited during the non-breeding season is increasingly supported by empirical studies that also suggest consequences that carry-over into subsequent seasons. Although variation in food supply is the best supported explanation for non-breeding season limitation, the ecological mechanisms and physiological consequences are not well understood. We both supplemented and reduced Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla) food availability on replicate plots in Jamaica in each of 3 years to determine the direct role of food in limiting the physical condition of Ovenbirds. Annual variation in rainfall and food supply created a natural experiment in parallel with manipulations. Sex and age-classes of Ovenbirds did not respond differently in terms of body condition to either food manipulation or natural variation in environmental conditions, suggesting that this population is not structured by strong dominance relationships. Ovenbird body mass, fat, and pectoralis muscle shape were positively and predictably related to manipulated food availability. Feather regrowth rate also responded positively to food supplementation and negatively to food reduction in the drier of 2 years. Prior to manipulation...Continue Reading

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Citations

Aug 28, 2009·Oecologia·Gregor RolshausenH Martin Schaefer
Oct 19, 2012·Ecotoxicology·Jason M TownsendEduardo Iñigo-Elias
Jan 27, 2016·Ecology and Evolution·Ann E McKellarScott Wilson
Apr 22, 2010·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·John FaaborgNils Warnock
Jun 16, 2010·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Alex E JahnAna María Mamani
Aug 24, 2010·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Xavier A HarrisonStuart Bearhop
Jun 13, 2015·Royal Society Open Science·Marcus SaltonAndré Chiaradia
Mar 11, 2017·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Youxu LiZejun Zhang
Oct 17, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Bradford C Lister, Andres Garcia
Jul 29, 2011·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Christopher M TonraRebecca L Holberton
Oct 9, 2021·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Joana TomazelliGunther Gehlen

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