Individual color variation and male quality in pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca): a role of ultraviolet reflectance
Bright coloration of males in many animal species has inspired researchers for more than a century. In this field study, we investigated whether color variation between individuals is related to individual quality in pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) males in terms of arrival time at the breeding sites. In addition to traditional visual color scoring, plumage […]
Behavioural syndromes and trappability in free-living collared flycatchers, Ficedula albicollis
The concept of behavioural syndromes hypothesizes that consistent behaviours across various situations mediate important life history trade-offs, and predicts correlations among behavioural traits. We studied the consistency of behavioural responses across three ecological situations (exploration of an environment altered with a novel object, aggression towards conspecifics, risk taking) in male collared flycatchers. We developed behavioural […]
Corticosterone metabolites in blue tit and pied flycatcher droppings: Effects of brood size, ectoparasites and temperature
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of birds induces the secretion of corticosterone (CORT) as a response to different ecological variables. In this study we tested experimentally if manipulations of brood size or ectoparasitism led to subsequent differences in the concentration of excreted CORT metabolites of adult and nestling blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). No significant effect of […]