Effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole-nesting passerine
Abstract Daylight is an important factor necessary for the proper embryonic development of birds, which raises the question, what happens when birds nest in relatively dim sites? The study experimentally tested whether there is a relationship between light conditions at the nesting site and the prot...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36658-4 |
| _version_ | 1797801421751451648 |
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| author | Katarzyna Malinowska Klaudia Szala Paweł Podkowa Adrian Surmacki |
| author_facet | Katarzyna Malinowska Klaudia Szala Paweł Podkowa Adrian Surmacki |
| author_sort | Katarzyna Malinowska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Daylight is an important factor necessary for the proper embryonic development of birds, which raises the question, what happens when birds nest in relatively dim sites? The study experimentally tested whether there is a relationship between light conditions at the nesting site and the protoporphyrin-based pigmentation in the eggshell of the Great Tit (Parus major). We hypothesised that at lower light levels, eggs are less pigmented to increase the amount of light reaching the embryo. Our study system consisted of two types of nest boxes: "dark", in which the only source of light was the entrance hole, and "bright", which had two additional side windows. Photographs of clutches taken during the incubation period were used to quantify eggshell pigmentation. Multispectral image analyses were performed to measure variables correlating with protoporphyrin content, such as spot brightness, average spot size, spotting coverage, and spot red chroma. Repeatability analysis indicated that eggshell colouration characteristics were significantly and moderately repeatable between eggs from a single clutch, which suggests that they are under genetic and environmental control. However, none of the pigmentation traits differed significantly between the two types of nest boxes. We speculate about other ecological aspects that might have influenced the observed variability in eggshell pigmentation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:51:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-251d4478b1e64fc3bbb8f519b3233e4d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:51:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-251d4478b1e64fc3bbb8f519b3233e4d2023-06-18T11:12:09ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-06-011311810.1038/s41598-023-36658-4Effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole-nesting passerineKatarzyna Malinowska0Klaudia Szala1Paweł Podkowa2Adrian Surmacki3Population Ecology Lab, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityDepartment of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityDepartment of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityDepartment of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityAbstract Daylight is an important factor necessary for the proper embryonic development of birds, which raises the question, what happens when birds nest in relatively dim sites? The study experimentally tested whether there is a relationship between light conditions at the nesting site and the protoporphyrin-based pigmentation in the eggshell of the Great Tit (Parus major). We hypothesised that at lower light levels, eggs are less pigmented to increase the amount of light reaching the embryo. Our study system consisted of two types of nest boxes: "dark", in which the only source of light was the entrance hole, and "bright", which had two additional side windows. Photographs of clutches taken during the incubation period were used to quantify eggshell pigmentation. Multispectral image analyses were performed to measure variables correlating with protoporphyrin content, such as spot brightness, average spot size, spotting coverage, and spot red chroma. Repeatability analysis indicated that eggshell colouration characteristics were significantly and moderately repeatable between eggs from a single clutch, which suggests that they are under genetic and environmental control. However, none of the pigmentation traits differed significantly between the two types of nest boxes. We speculate about other ecological aspects that might have influenced the observed variability in eggshell pigmentation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36658-4 |
| spellingShingle | Katarzyna Malinowska Klaudia Szala Paweł Podkowa Adrian Surmacki Effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole-nesting passerine Scientific Reports |
| title | Effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole-nesting passerine |
| title_full | Effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole-nesting passerine |
| title_fullStr | Effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole-nesting passerine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole-nesting passerine |
| title_short | Effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole-nesting passerine |
| title_sort | effect of light intensity in the nest site on eggshell pigmentation in a hole nesting passerine |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36658-4 |
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