The Grey-backed Shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases
Abstract Background Great diversity exists in the parenting pattern of altricial birds, which has long been considered as an adaptive response to specific environmental conditions but not to their life-history style. Methods We examined the egg-laying and nestling-raising pattern of the Grey-backed...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Avian Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-021-00244-x |
| _version_ | 1797967726345453568 |
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| author | Liqing Fan Lifang Gao Zhenqin Zhu Xiaodan Zhang Wen Zhang Haiyang Zhang Jianchuan Li Bo Du |
| author_facet | Liqing Fan Lifang Gao Zhenqin Zhu Xiaodan Zhang Wen Zhang Haiyang Zhang Jianchuan Li Bo Du |
| author_sort | Liqing Fan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Great diversity exists in the parenting pattern of altricial birds, which has long been considered as an adaptive response to specific environmental conditions but not to their life-history style. Methods We examined the egg-laying and nestling-raising pattern of the Grey-backed Shrike (Lanius tephronotus) that breeds only once a year on the Tibetan Plateau. We compared the dietary composition to that of its sympatric competitor, the Brown-cheeked Laughing Thrush (Trochalopteron henrici) that breeds twice a year. Results Female Grey-backed Shrikes produced a fixed clutch size of five, with increasing egg size by their laying sequence. The last offspring in the brood is disadvantageous in the size hierarchy because it hatches later. However, they had the largest fledgling body mass. These findings indicate that Grey-backed Shrikes adopt the brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases. Moreover, males and females exhibit no sexual division in providing parental care as they made an equal contribution to the total amount of food delivered to their brood. This parenting pattern of Grey-backed Shrikes, as well as their dietary items, differ significantly from those of the Brown-cheeked Laughing Thrush. Conclusions We suggest that the differentiation in life-history style between sympatric competitors, rather than a behavioral response to specific environmental conditions, plays a decisive role in driving avian parenting strategy diversification. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:35:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8d83352c5bce457ebebd1fcbdee329da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2053-7166 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:35:46Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-8d83352c5bce457ebebd1fcbdee329da2023-01-02T20:18:07ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Avian Research2053-71662021-03-0112111010.1186/s40657-021-00244-xThe Grey-backed Shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phasesLiqing Fan0Lifang Gao1Zhenqin Zhu2Xiaodan Zhang3Wen Zhang4Haiyang Zhang5Jianchuan Li6Bo Du7National Forest Ecosystem Observation & Research Station of Nyingchi Tibet, Institute of Plateau Ecology, Tibet Agriculture & Animal Husbandry UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Lanzhou UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Lanzhou UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Lanzhou UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Lanzhou UniversitySchool of Life Sciences, Lanzhou UniversityTibet Plateau Institute of BiologySchool of Life Sciences, Lanzhou UniversityAbstract Background Great diversity exists in the parenting pattern of altricial birds, which has long been considered as an adaptive response to specific environmental conditions but not to their life-history style. Methods We examined the egg-laying and nestling-raising pattern of the Grey-backed Shrike (Lanius tephronotus) that breeds only once a year on the Tibetan Plateau. We compared the dietary composition to that of its sympatric competitor, the Brown-cheeked Laughing Thrush (Trochalopteron henrici) that breeds twice a year. Results Female Grey-backed Shrikes produced a fixed clutch size of five, with increasing egg size by their laying sequence. The last offspring in the brood is disadvantageous in the size hierarchy because it hatches later. However, they had the largest fledgling body mass. These findings indicate that Grey-backed Shrikes adopt the brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases. Moreover, males and females exhibit no sexual division in providing parental care as they made an equal contribution to the total amount of food delivered to their brood. This parenting pattern of Grey-backed Shrikes, as well as their dietary items, differ significantly from those of the Brown-cheeked Laughing Thrush. Conclusions We suggest that the differentiation in life-history style between sympatric competitors, rather than a behavioral response to specific environmental conditions, plays a decisive role in driving avian parenting strategy diversification.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-021-00244-xBrood survival strategyFood typesLanius tephronotusParenting patternProvisioning rate |
| spellingShingle | Liqing Fan Lifang Gao Zhenqin Zhu Xiaodan Zhang Wen Zhang Haiyang Zhang Jianchuan Li Bo Du The Grey-backed Shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases Avian Research Brood survival strategy Food types Lanius tephronotus Parenting pattern Provisioning rate |
| title | The Grey-backed Shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases |
| title_full | The Grey-backed Shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases |
| title_fullStr | The Grey-backed Shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Grey-backed Shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases |
| title_short | The Grey-backed Shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases |
| title_sort | grey backed shrike parents adopt brood survival strategy in both the egg and nestling phases |
| topic | Brood survival strategy Food types Lanius tephronotus Parenting pattern Provisioning rate |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-021-00244-x |
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