biostudies-literatureHodges KENICHD NIH HHSNIA NIH HHSNational Institutes of HealthNIAMS NIH HHS114-127https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7199457biostudies-literatureUnknown130(1)Differences in avian eggshell pigmentation could be an honest signal of female quality that males use to inform their nestling provisioning effort. We investigated whether among-individual variation in protoporphyrin-based eggshell pigmentation in house wrens (<i>Troglodytes aedon</i>) reflects female fitness-associated traits and whether males use that information. Females laying lighter clutches were older and larger than females laying darker clutches. Nestlings hatching from lighter clutches had greater size-corrected mass on post-hatch day 11, a measure that strongly predicts survival and recruitment to the breeding population. To test whether male provisioning effort responds to clutch pigmentation, we used a reciprocal clutch cross-fostering design, swapping dark with light clutchesBiological journal of the Linnean Society. Linnean Society of LondonConnecting the dots: avian eggshell pigmentation, female condition and paternal provisioning effort.PMC7199457R03 AG063314R15AR070505MB692148-0865938R15 HD076308R03AG063314R15 AR070505R15HD076308Vrailas-Mortimer ADMortimer NTHodges KEThompson CFSakaluk SKfalseConnecting the dots: avian eggshell pigmentation, female condition and paternal provisioning effort.Differences in avian eggshell pigmentation could be an honest signal of female quality that males use to inform their nestling provisioning effort. We investigated whether among-individual variation in protoporphyrin-based eggshell pigmentation in house wrens (<i>Troglodytes aedon</i>) reflects female fitness-associated traits and whether males use that information. Females laying lighter clutches were older and larger than females laying darker clutches. Nestlings hatching from lighter clutches had greater size-corrected mass on post-hatch day 11, a measure that strongly predicts survival and recruitment to the breeding population. To test whether male provisioning effort responds to clutch pigmentation, we used a reciprocal clutch cross-fostering design, swapping dark with light clutches2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 May2025-04-04T23:50:29.537Z2025-04-04T23:50:29.537ZS-EPMC71994573239498810.1093/biolinnean/blaa002