Extended incubation recesses in sanderlings are impacted by temperature and body condition.

ABSTRACT: Complex incubation strategies have evolved to solve the trade-off between parent survival and care for their eggs with often brief departures (recesses) that maximize egg survival, and infrequent extended recesses maximizing adult condition. Here we examined incubation behaviour of sanderlings (Calidris alba), a species that exhibits both biparental and uniparental incubation behaviour. During 11 breeding seasons in Greenland, we have quantified incubation variability with thermologgers placed in nests. We estimated the impact of environmental conditions and individual characteristics on the occurrence and the duration of recesses. We found that extended recesses are a unique feature of uniparentals, and their frequency and duration increased in colder temperatures. The relationship

SUBMITTER: Etchart L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10878808 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature