Feather growth and quality across passerines is explained by breeding rather than moulting latitude.

ABSTRACT: Tropical bird species are characterized by a comparatively slow pace of life, being predictably different from their temperate zone counterparts in their investments in growth, survival and reproduction. In birds, the development of functional plumage is often considered energetically demanding investment, with consequences on individual fitness and survival. However, current knowledge of interspecific variation in feather growth patterns is mostly based on species of the northern temperate zone. We evaluated patterns in tail feather growth rates (FGR) and feather quality (stress-induced fault bar occurrence; FBO), using 1518 individuals of 167 species and 39 passerine families inhabiting Afrotropical and northern temperate zones. We detected a clear difference in feather traits between sp

SUBMITTER: Horak K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8905169 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature