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Seasonal decline of offspring quality in the European starling Sturnus vulgaris: an immune challenge experiment

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Abstract

In seasonally fluctuating environments, timing of reproduction is a crucial determinant of fitness. Studies of birds show that late breeding attempts generally result in offspring of lower reproductive value, with lower recruitment and long-term survival prospects. Several proximate mechanisms, including a seasonal decline of immune system functioning, may lead to a seasonal decline of offspring fitness. We investigated seasonal variation in offspring quality by subjecting first- and second-brood chicks of a sexually size dimorphic species, the European starling Sturnus vulgaris, to an immune challenge with a bacterial endotoxin (LPS), and evaluated their growth and physiological response in terms of total plasma antioxidant capacity (TAC), concentration of reactive oxygen metabolites and hematocrit. LPS challenge did not affect chick growth or oxidative status. However, hematocrit of second-brood chicks was higher in LPS chicks compared to controls. Body mass halfway through the rearing period (days 8–9 post-hatching), TAC and hematocrit were lower among second- vs. first-brood chicks. Interestingly, sexual dimorphism in body mass at days 8–9 post-hatching markedly differed between broods, first-brood males being 4.7% and second-brood males 22.7% heavier than their sisters, respectively. Pre-fledging mortality occurred among second-brood chicks only and was strongly female-biased. Our findings suggest that starling chicks, even if in poor conditions, are little affected by a bacterial challenge, at least in the short-term. Moreover, our study indicates that sex differences in body size, possibly mediated by sex-specific maternal investment in egg size, may heavily impact on pre-fledging survival in a different way in the course of the breeding season, resulting in sex-specific seasonal decline of offspring fitness. Finally, we suggest that levels of circulating antioxidants should be regarded among the proximate causes of the association between timing of fledging and long-term survival in avian species.

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Acknowledgements

We thank A. De Pasquale, S. Fabbri, R. Mantovani, P. F. Micheloni, D. Piacentini, M. Rusche, F. Santostefano, M. Spreafico and S. Tomasini for their technical support and two anonymous referees for constructive comments. Partial financial support was provided by MIPAF-DG Sviluppo Rurale, Infrastrutture e Servizi (SVIRIS X).

Ethical standards

This research was undertaken (capture and experimental treatments) under the combined prescriptions of Art. 4 (1) and Art. 7 (5) of the Italian law 157/1992, which regulates studies on wild bird species.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), via Ca’ Fornacetta 9, 40064, Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy

    Lorenzo Serra, Simone Pirrello, Alessandro Andreotti & Fernando Spina

  2. Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Manuela Caprioli, Andrea Romano, Nicola Saino & Diego Rubolini

  3. Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstraße 1a, 1160, Vienna, Austria

    Matteo Griggio

  4. Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padua, Italy

    Simone Pirrello & Andrea Pilastro

  5. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell’Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Roberto Sacchi, Paolo Galeotti & Mauro Fasola

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  1. Lorenzo Serra
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Serra, L., Pirrello, S., Caprioli, M. et al. Seasonal decline of offspring quality in the European starling Sturnus vulgaris: an immune challenge experiment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 66, 697–709 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-012-1318-3

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