In the Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Last-Hatched Nestlings Can Catch up with Older Siblings

[摘要] Developmentduringtherelativelyshorttimethatyoungspendinthenestiscrucialinabird'slifehistory.Therateofnestlinggrowthstronglydependsonnumerousenvironmentalandsocialfactors,evenwithinthesamespeciesorpopulation.InthepresentstudyIexaminetherelativecontributionsofbroodsize,hatchingasynchrony,hatchingdateandfeedingrateindeterminingintraspecificvariationinthegrowthofEurasianBlackcapSylviaatricapillanestlings.Ifoundasignificanteffectofbroodsize,hatchingorderanddateonnestlingdevelopment.However,theeffectofhatchingorderanddatewassignificantonlyforyoungnestlingsanditgraduallydisappearedwithnestlingage.Theonlyfactorsignificantlyaffectingnestlingdevelopmentjustbeforefledgingwasbroodsize.Nestsoffoursiblingsproducedtheheaviestyoungwiththelongesttarsi.Thisprobablyresultedfromthehighestfeedingratepernestlingobservedinbroodsoffournestlings.ThestudyshowsthatforBlackcapsbreedinginagoodyearabroodsizeoffouristheoptimalnumber,andthatyoungersiblingscancatch-upwitholdernestmates.

[学科分类] 动物科学

[关键词] Eurasian Blackcap