Adoption Behaviour in Little and Common Terns (Aves; Sternidae): Chick Benefits and Parents' Fitness Costs
Abstract Adoption seeking by semi‐precocial chicks of some bird species can be adaptive since it provides an alternative tactic to permit poorly cared‐for young to survive despite their neglectful parents' behaviour. Moreover, own‐nest desertion may enhance inclusive fitness of fugitive chicks...
Published in: | Ethology |
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1994
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x |
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crwiley:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x 2024-06-23T07:52:12+00:00 Adoption Behaviour in Little and Common Terns (Aves; Sternidae): Chick Benefits and Parents' Fitness Costs Saino, Nicola Fasola, Mauro Crocicchia, Elena 1994 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Ethology volume 97, issue 4, page 294-309 ISSN 0179-1613 1439-0310 journal-article 1994 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x 2024-05-31T08:12:13Z Abstract Adoption seeking by semi‐precocial chicks of some bird species can be adaptive since it provides an alternative tactic to permit poorly cared‐for young to survive despite their neglectful parents' behaviour. Moreover, own‐nest desertion may enhance inclusive fitness of fugitive chicks by increasing survival prospects of siblings. On the other hand, adoption by breeding adults can be detrimental to foster parents' fitness if they invest resources in promoting survival of others' offspring at the expense of their own. In this study we report on the proximate causes and survival consequences of adoption seeking by chicks, and on the presumed costs of adoption sustained by foster parents in two colonial, ground‐nesting tern species: the little tern ( Sterna albifrons ) and the common tern ( Sterna hirundo ). Adoptions were frequent in little tern and, notably, in common tern colonies. Chicks that deserted their original brood were poorly fed compared with resident chicks, but crowding in the brood and age rank relative to nest companions did not influence the chances of desertion. Deserting their original brood was risky for little tern chicks since stray chicks experienced higher mortality than resident ones. Common tern chicks deserted their original nest significantly more often than little tern chicks. Adoptees of both species benefited by the same survival prospects as resident chicks. A negative correlation existed between the proportion of food given to strange chicks and seasonal fitness or chick survival rate of breeding pairs. This was not predictable because: (1) foster parents could have increased their parental efforts, thus ensuring the same survival prospects to their own chicks, and (2) chicks of foster parents could have been, in turn, adopted thus obliterating the negative fitness effects of adoption. The sexes were identical with respect to their proneness to provide food to strange chicks. We suggest that adoption seeking by little and common tern chicks has evolved as an alternative ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Common tern Sterna hirundo Wiley Online Library Ethology 97 4 294 309 |
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Open Polar |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract Adoption seeking by semi‐precocial chicks of some bird species can be adaptive since it provides an alternative tactic to permit poorly cared‐for young to survive despite their neglectful parents' behaviour. Moreover, own‐nest desertion may enhance inclusive fitness of fugitive chicks by increasing survival prospects of siblings. On the other hand, adoption by breeding adults can be detrimental to foster parents' fitness if they invest resources in promoting survival of others' offspring at the expense of their own. In this study we report on the proximate causes and survival consequences of adoption seeking by chicks, and on the presumed costs of adoption sustained by foster parents in two colonial, ground‐nesting tern species: the little tern ( Sterna albifrons ) and the common tern ( Sterna hirundo ). Adoptions were frequent in little tern and, notably, in common tern colonies. Chicks that deserted their original brood were poorly fed compared with resident chicks, but crowding in the brood and age rank relative to nest companions did not influence the chances of desertion. Deserting their original brood was risky for little tern chicks since stray chicks experienced higher mortality than resident ones. Common tern chicks deserted their original nest significantly more often than little tern chicks. Adoptees of both species benefited by the same survival prospects as resident chicks. A negative correlation existed between the proportion of food given to strange chicks and seasonal fitness or chick survival rate of breeding pairs. This was not predictable because: (1) foster parents could have increased their parental efforts, thus ensuring the same survival prospects to their own chicks, and (2) chicks of foster parents could have been, in turn, adopted thus obliterating the negative fitness effects of adoption. The sexes were identical with respect to their proneness to provide food to strange chicks. We suggest that adoption seeking by little and common tern chicks has evolved as an alternative ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Saino, Nicola Fasola, Mauro Crocicchia, Elena |
spellingShingle |
Saino, Nicola Fasola, Mauro Crocicchia, Elena Adoption Behaviour in Little and Common Terns (Aves; Sternidae): Chick Benefits and Parents' Fitness Costs |
author_facet |
Saino, Nicola Fasola, Mauro Crocicchia, Elena |
author_sort |
Saino, Nicola |
title |
Adoption Behaviour in Little and Common Terns (Aves; Sternidae): Chick Benefits and Parents' Fitness Costs |
title_short |
Adoption Behaviour in Little and Common Terns (Aves; Sternidae): Chick Benefits and Parents' Fitness Costs |
title_full |
Adoption Behaviour in Little and Common Terns (Aves; Sternidae): Chick Benefits and Parents' Fitness Costs |
title_fullStr |
Adoption Behaviour in Little and Common Terns (Aves; Sternidae): Chick Benefits and Parents' Fitness Costs |
title_full_unstemmed |
Adoption Behaviour in Little and Common Terns (Aves; Sternidae): Chick Benefits and Parents' Fitness Costs |
title_sort |
adoption behaviour in little and common terns (aves; sternidae): chick benefits and parents' fitness costs |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
1994 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x |
genre |
Common tern Sterna hirundo |
genre_facet |
Common tern Sterna hirundo |
op_source |
Ethology volume 97, issue 4, page 294-309 ISSN 0179-1613 1439-0310 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1994.tb01048.x |
container_title |
Ethology |
container_volume |
97 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
294 |
op_container_end_page |
309 |
_version_ |
1802643440012361728 |