Do older parents do better? Relationships between parental age, chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial‐breeding waterbird
Animals' performance of basic functional behaviours, such as foraging and movement, may improve with age as a result of past experiences. In migratory birds, for example, due to earlier or more efficient migration, older and likely more experienced individuals tend to arrive at breeding sites e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Avian Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/jav.03387 |
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| author | Hugo R. S. Ferreira Jocelyn Champagnon Thomas Blanchon Tamar Lok José A. Alves |
| author_facet | Hugo R. S. Ferreira Jocelyn Champagnon Thomas Blanchon Tamar Lok José A. Alves |
| author_sort | Hugo R. S. Ferreira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Animals' performance of basic functional behaviours, such as foraging and movement, may improve with age as a result of past experiences. In migratory birds, for example, due to earlier or more efficient migration, older and likely more experienced individuals tend to arrive at breeding sites earlier and enjoy better breeding conditions than younger conspecifics, resulting in a higher reproductive success. Yet, despite the advantages of early arrival for breeding adults, the long‐term effects of fledging early and/or with a higher body condition on chicks' future fitness prospects remain largely unexplored. In differential migration systems, low‐quality or socially subordinate individuals may be constrained to sub‐optimal migratory behaviours associated with lower demographic rates. Therefore, producing high‐quality chicks may enhance the survival of offspring. In this study, we analysed data from the long‐term ringing programme on the breeding population of Eurasian spoonbills in the Camargue (southern France) to investigate how breeder age may influence the timing of breeding and, in turn, how this may affect chick body condition and their subsequent migratory behaviour. Using breeding resightings of birds individually marked as a chick since 2008, combined with chick biometric measurements and subsequent winter resightings of offspring, we show that older spoonbills tend to breed earlier in the season than younger individuals, and that early breeders, regardless of age, are more likely to produce chicks with higher body condition than late breeders. Finally, migratory behaviour of juveniles appears to be influenced by the timing of breeding, with later‐born juveniles tending to undertake less demanding migrations (without crossing major ecological barriers) than juveniles born earlier in the breeding season. Our study therefore highlights the relevance of long‐term studies to better understand the complex breeding phenology of migratory species, which can lead to changes in population‐level patterns and processes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dab3e7003502446fa6c5b2ef60af75ae |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0908-8857 1600-048X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Avian Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-dab3e7003502446fa6c5b2ef60af75ae2025-08-20T03:30:01ZengWileyJournal of Avian Biology0908-88571600-048X2025-05-0120253n/an/a10.1002/jav.03387Do older parents do better? Relationships between parental age, chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial‐breeding waterbirdHugo R. S. Ferreira0Jocelyn Champagnon1Thomas Blanchon2Tamar Lok3José A. Alves4Dep. Biologia and CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Universidade de Aveiro Aveiro PortugalTour du Valat, Research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands Le Sambuc Arles FranceTour du Valat, Research institute for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands Le Sambuc Arles FranceDepartment of Coastal Systems, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research Texel the NetherlandsDep. Biologia and CESAM – Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Universidade de Aveiro Aveiro PortugalAnimals' performance of basic functional behaviours, such as foraging and movement, may improve with age as a result of past experiences. In migratory birds, for example, due to earlier or more efficient migration, older and likely more experienced individuals tend to arrive at breeding sites earlier and enjoy better breeding conditions than younger conspecifics, resulting in a higher reproductive success. Yet, despite the advantages of early arrival for breeding adults, the long‐term effects of fledging early and/or with a higher body condition on chicks' future fitness prospects remain largely unexplored. In differential migration systems, low‐quality or socially subordinate individuals may be constrained to sub‐optimal migratory behaviours associated with lower demographic rates. Therefore, producing high‐quality chicks may enhance the survival of offspring. In this study, we analysed data from the long‐term ringing programme on the breeding population of Eurasian spoonbills in the Camargue (southern France) to investigate how breeder age may influence the timing of breeding and, in turn, how this may affect chick body condition and their subsequent migratory behaviour. Using breeding resightings of birds individually marked as a chick since 2008, combined with chick biometric measurements and subsequent winter resightings of offspring, we show that older spoonbills tend to breed earlier in the season than younger individuals, and that early breeders, regardless of age, are more likely to produce chicks with higher body condition than late breeders. Finally, migratory behaviour of juveniles appears to be influenced by the timing of breeding, with later‐born juveniles tending to undertake less demanding migrations (without crossing major ecological barriers) than juveniles born earlier in the breeding season. Our study therefore highlights the relevance of long‐term studies to better understand the complex breeding phenology of migratory species, which can lead to changes in population‐level patterns and processes.https://doi.org/10.1002/jav.03387breeding performanceecological barriersjuvenile migratory behaviourontogenyPlatalea leucorodiascale-mass-index |
| spellingShingle | Hugo R. S. Ferreira Jocelyn Champagnon Thomas Blanchon Tamar Lok José A. Alves Do older parents do better? Relationships between parental age, chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial‐breeding waterbird Journal of Avian Biology breeding performance ecological barriers juvenile migratory behaviour ontogeny Platalea leucorodia scale-mass-index |
| title | Do older parents do better? Relationships between parental age, chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial‐breeding waterbird |
| title_full | Do older parents do better? Relationships between parental age, chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial‐breeding waterbird |
| title_fullStr | Do older parents do better? Relationships between parental age, chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial‐breeding waterbird |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do older parents do better? Relationships between parental age, chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial‐breeding waterbird |
| title_short | Do older parents do better? Relationships between parental age, chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial‐breeding waterbird |
| title_sort | do older parents do better relationships between parental age chick body condition and migratory behaviour in a colonial breeding waterbird |
| topic | breeding performance ecological barriers juvenile migratory behaviour ontogeny Platalea leucorodia scale-mass-index |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/jav.03387 |
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