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Annual routines of non-migratory birds: optimal moult strategies

Barta, Z ; Houston, A I ; McNamara, J M ; Welham, R K ; Hedenström, Anders LU ; Weber, Thomas LU and Fero, O (2006) In Oikos 112(3). p.580-593
Abstract
In a periodically changing environment it is important for animals to properly time the major events of their life in order to maximise their lifetime fitness. For a non-migratory bird the timing of breeding and moult are thought to be the most crucial. We develop a state-dependent optimal annual routine model that incorporates explicit density dependence in the food supply. In the model the birds' decisions depend on the time of year, their energy reserves, breeding status, experience, and the quality of two types of feathers (outer and inner primaries). Our model predicts that, under a seasonal environment, feathers with large effects on flight ability, higher abrasion rate and lower energetic cost of moult should be moulted closer to... (More)
In a periodically changing environment it is important for animals to properly time the major events of their life in order to maximise their lifetime fitness. For a non-migratory bird the timing of breeding and moult are thought to be the most crucial. We develop a state-dependent optimal annual routine model that incorporates explicit density dependence in the food supply. In the model the birds' decisions depend on the time of year, their energy reserves, breeding status, experience, and the quality of two types of feathers (outer and inner primaries). Our model predicts that, under a seasonal environment, feathers with large effects on flight ability, higher abrasion rate and lower energetic cost of moult should be moulted closer to the winter (i.e. later) than those with the opposite attributes. Therefore, we argue that the sequence of moult may be an adaptive response to the problem of optimal timing of moult of differing feathers within the same feather tract. The model also predicts that environmental seasonality greatly affects optimal annual routines. Under high seasonality birds breed first then immediately moult, whereas under low seasonality an alternation occurs between breeding and moulting some of the feathers in one year and having a complete moult but no breeding in the other year. Increasing food abundance has a similar effect. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Oikos
volume
112
issue
3
pages
580 - 593
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000234800800011
  • scopus:33645134939
ISSN
1600-0706
DOI
10.1111/j.0030-1299.2006.14240.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5d141b79-9e6c-4479-a8bf-41eeee19c048 (old id 155520)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:28:09
date last changed
2022-04-21 07:54:10
@article{5d141b79-9e6c-4479-a8bf-41eeee19c048,
  abstract     = {{In a periodically changing environment it is important for animals to properly time the major events of their life in order to maximise their lifetime fitness. For a non-migratory bird the timing of breeding and moult are thought to be the most crucial. We develop a state-dependent optimal annual routine model that incorporates explicit density dependence in the food supply. In the model the birds' decisions depend on the time of year, their energy reserves, breeding status, experience, and the quality of two types of feathers (outer and inner primaries). Our model predicts that, under a seasonal environment, feathers with large effects on flight ability, higher abrasion rate and lower energetic cost of moult should be moulted closer to the winter (i.e. later) than those with the opposite attributes. Therefore, we argue that the sequence of moult may be an adaptive response to the problem of optimal timing of moult of differing feathers within the same feather tract. The model also predicts that environmental seasonality greatly affects optimal annual routines. Under high seasonality birds breed first then immediately moult, whereas under low seasonality an alternation occurs between breeding and moulting some of the feathers in one year and having a complete moult but no breeding in the other year. Increasing food abundance has a similar effect.}},
  author       = {{Barta, Z and Houston, A I and McNamara, J M and Welham, R K and Hedenström, Anders and Weber, Thomas and Fero, O}},
  issn         = {{1600-0706}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{580--593}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Oikos}},
  title        = {{Annual routines of non-migratory birds: optimal moult strategies}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/2936068/625394.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.0030-1299.2006.14240.x}},
  volume       = {{112}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}