Effects of manipulated levels of predation threat on parental provisioning and nestling begging.

ABSTRACT: Parental provisioning behavior is a major determinant of offspring growth and survival, but high provisioning rates might come at the cost of increased predation threat. Parents should thus adjust provisioning activity according to current predation threat levels. Moreover, life-history theory predicts that response to predation threat should be correlated with investment in current reproduction. We experimentally manipulated perceived predation threat in free-living great tits (Parus major) by presenting parents with a nest predator model while monitoring different aspects of provisioning behavior and nestling begging. Experiments were conducted in 2 years differing greatly in ecological conditions, including food availability. We further quantified male territorial aggressiveness

SUBMITTER: Mutzel A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6606999 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul-Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature