Abstract
Parent–offspring communication mediates parental provisioning rates through nestling begging. Although begging can be energetically costly and it potentially attracts predators to the nest, it is critical to nestling survival. Parent-absent begging is a behavior that has similar costs as parent-present begging but lacks the immediate benefits and yet occurs among several passerine species. We recorded European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) nestling begging vocalizations at 18 nest boxes on days 2, 7, 12, 17 of the nestling period and the day before fledging to examine whether parent-absent begging occurred, and if so, whether the frequency of parent-absent begging changed with nestling age. We predicted that, like other cavity-nesting species, European Starling nestlings would spend more time begging in the absence of parents as they aged. We found that the average proportion of time nestlings spent parent-absent begging increased significantly from days 2 and 7 to days 12 and 17, then declined significantly on the day prior to fledging. Offspring provisioning rates remained high on the day before fledging, when growth rates have slowed, and did not differ significantly from the early and middle stages of the nestling period. Parent-absent begging may function in advertising hunger.
Zusammenfassung
Muster des Bettelns bei Nestlingen des Stars (Sturnus vulgaris) in Abwesenheit der Eltern.
Die Kommunikation zwischen Eltern und Nachwuchs vermittelt die elterlichen Fütterungssraten durch das Betteln der Nestlinge. Obwohl das Betteln energetisch kostspielig sein kann und möglicherweise Räuber zum Nest lockt, ist es für das Überleben der Nestlinge entscheidend. Das Betteln in Abwesenheit der Eltern ist ein Verhalten, das ähnliche Kosten verursacht wie das Betteln in Anwesenheit der Eltern, aber keine unmittelbaren Vorteile bietet. Wir haben die Bettelrufe von Nestlingen des Stars (Sturnus vulgaris) in 18 Nistkästen an den Tagen 2, 7, 12 und 17 der Nestlingszeit sowie am Tag vor dem Ausfliegen aufgezeichnet, um zu untersuchen, ob elternloses Betteln auftritt und, falls ja, ob sich die Häufigkeit des elternlosen Bettelns mit dem Alter der Nestlinge ändert. Wir gingen davon aus, dass die Staren-Nestlinge mit zunehmendem Alter mehr Zeit mit dem Betteln in Abwesenheit der Eltern verbringen würden, wie dies auch bei anderen Arten der Fall ist, die in Nisthöhlen brüten. Wir fanden heraus, dass der durchschnittliche Anteil der Zeit, die Nestlinge in Abwesenheit der Eltern mit Betteln verbrachten, von Tag 2 und 7 bis Tag 12 und 17 signifikant anstieg und dann am Tag vor dem Ausfliegen signifikant abnahm. Die Versorgung der Nestlinge blieb am Tag vor dem Ausfliegen hoch, wenn sich die Wachstumsraten verlangsamt hatten, und unterschied sich nicht wesentlich von den frühen und mittleren Phasen der Nestlingszeit. Das Betteln in Abwesenheit der Eltern dürfte Hunger anzeigen.
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Data availability
Data are available at Borealis at the following link: https://doi.org/10.5683/SP3/PZBEJ3.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Leah Duggan and Jessica Poirier for their help with field work and dedication to research. We also thank the two anonymous reviewers who helped enhance the quality of our manuscript with their insightful comments and suggestions. Funding was provided by a Faculty of Graduate Studies Research grant to CAB. This study complied with current Canadian laws; all appropriate permits and animal care approval were obtained for this research.
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MacKinnon, E., Foote, J.R. & Barber, C.A. Patterns of parent-absent begging in European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) nestlings. J Ornithol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-024-02169-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-024-02169-w