Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperature

Abstract: Studies of risk-taking by breeding birds have frequently addressed the effect of brood value on the decisions taken by incubating birds when predators approach their nests. However, leaving eggs unattended during predator disturbance may expose embryos to other potentially harmful factors,...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Amat, Juan A., Liñán-Cembrano, Gustavo, Rendón, Miguel A., Ramo, Cristina
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2017
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/155934
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/155934
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Payoffs
Parental care
Nest camouflage
Predator-prey interactions:Thermal environment
Egg overheating
Predation risk
Little tern
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spelling Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperatureAmat, Juan A.Liñán-Cembrano, GustavoRendón, Miguel A.Ramo, CristinaPayoffsParental careNest camouflagePredator-prey interactions:Thermal environmentEgg overheatingPredation riskLittle ternAbstract: Studies of risk-taking by breeding birds have frequently addressed the effect of brood value on the decisions taken by incubating birds when predators approach their nests. However, leaving eggs unattended during predator disturbance may expose embryos to other potentially harmful factors, to which parent birds should respond when making decisions about when to leave or return to their nest. In this study, we show that diurnal changes in flushing behaviour of incubating terns from nests during predator approach were affected by egg camouflage, the terns allowing a closer approach to individual nests when the eggs appeared better camouflaged. Return times to the nests were affected by ambient temperature, with the terns shortening such times at high ambient temperatures, thus diminishing the risk of egg overheating. As a whole, our results show that the decisions of the birds on when to leave or return to their nests depended on shifting payoffs, as a consequence of diurnal variations in both the thermal risks incurred by embryos and egg crypsis. Environmental costs of risk-taking, such as those considered here, should be addressed in studies of risk-taking by breeding birds. This type of study may have implications for our knowledge of cognitive processes that affect risk-taking. Significance statement: When a predator approaches a nest, the incubating bird has to decide at which moment to leave the nest, which may be affected by environmental factors that may hamper embryo viability. We studied flushing/returning behaviour of incubating little terns Sternula albifrons in response to disturbance and show that risk-taking was affected by the occurrence of simultaneous environmental threats according to shifting fitness payoffs. When the eggs appeared better camouflaged, which usually occurred around midday, the terns allowed closer approach to individual nests. The terns shortened the return to their nests with increasing ambient temperature, which took place at midday. Thus, our results show that, by adjusting their responses to shifting payoffs, the terns modulated the risks incurred by their offspring, as eggs were less time exposed to direct solar radiation in midday, when the risk of overheating was higher.Peer ReviewedSpringer NatureConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]2017201720172017info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Postprintinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/155934reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)InglésSíinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/1559342026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperature
title Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperature
spellingShingle Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperature
Amat, Juan A.
Payoffs
Parental care
Nest camouflage
Predator-prey interactions:Thermal environment
Egg overheating
Predation risk
Little tern
title_short Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperature
title_full Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperature
title_fullStr Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperature
title_full_unstemmed Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperature
title_sort Incubating terns modify risk-taking according to diurnal variations in egg camouflage and ambient temperature
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Amat, Juan A.
Liñán-Cembrano, Gustavo
Rendón, Miguel A.
Ramo, Cristina
author Amat, Juan A.
author_facet Amat, Juan A.
Liñán-Cembrano, Gustavo
Rendón, Miguel A.
Ramo, Cristina
author_role author
author2 Liñán-Cembrano, Gustavo
Rendón, Miguel A.
Ramo, Cristina
author2_role author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Payoffs
Parental care
Nest camouflage
Predator-prey interactions:Thermal environment
Egg overheating
Predation risk
Little tern
topic Payoffs
Parental care
Nest camouflage
Predator-prey interactions:Thermal environment
Egg overheating
Predation risk
Little tern
description Abstract: Studies of risk-taking by breeding birds have frequently addressed the effect of brood value on the decisions taken by incubating birds when predators approach their nests. However, leaving eggs unattended during predator disturbance may expose embryos to other potentially harmful factors, to which parent birds should respond when making decisions about when to leave or return to their nest. In this study, we show that diurnal changes in flushing behaviour of incubating terns from nests during predator approach were affected by egg camouflage, the terns allowing a closer approach to individual nests when the eggs appeared better camouflaged. Return times to the nests were affected by ambient temperature, with the terns shortening such times at high ambient temperatures, thus diminishing the risk of egg overheating. As a whole, our results show that the decisions of the birds on when to leave or return to their nests depended on shifting payoffs, as a consequence of diurnal variations in both the thermal risks incurred by embryos and egg crypsis. Environmental costs of risk-taking, such as those considered here, should be addressed in studies of risk-taking by breeding birds. This type of study may have implications for our knowledge of cognitive processes that affect risk-taking. Significance statement: When a predator approaches a nest, the incubating bird has to decide at which moment to leave the nest, which may be affected by environmental factors that may hamper embryo viability. We studied flushing/returning behaviour of incubating little terns Sternula albifrons in response to disturbance and show that risk-taking was affected by the occurrence of simultaneous environmental threats according to shifting fitness payoffs. When the eggs appeared better camouflaged, which usually occurred around midday, the terns allowed closer approach to individual nests. The terns shortened the return to their nests with increasing ambient temperature, which took place at midday. Thus, our results show that, by adjusting their responses to shifting payoffs, the terns modulated the risks incurred by their offspring, as eggs were less time exposed to direct solar radiation in midday, when the risk of overheating was higher.
publishDate 2017
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2017
2017
2017
2017
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Postprint
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/155934
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/155934
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Sí
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer Nature
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer Nature
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
reponame_str DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
collection DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15.811543

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