Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo bubo

The application of modern spectrometry to the study of avian colour variability has revealed ignored patterns of colour variation such as male-biased sexual dichromatism and seasonal variability in the plumage. However, the variation in the achromatic property of such traits, that is in the total li...

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Authors: Penteriani, Vincenzo, Alonso-Álvarez, Carlos, Delgado Sánchez, María del Mar, Sergio, Fabrizio, Ferrer, Miguel
Format: article
Publication Date:2006
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/59632
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/59632
Access Level:Open access
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spelling Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo buboPenteriani, VincenzoAlonso-Álvarez, CarlosDelgado Sánchez, María del MarSergio, FabrizioFerrer, MiguelThe application of modern spectrometry to the study of avian colour variability has revealed ignored patterns of colour variation such as male-biased sexual dichromatism and seasonal variability in the plumage. However, the variation in the achromatic property of such traits, that is in the total light reflectance of the spectrum (i.e., brightness), has commonly been overlooked. The evolution of signals based on brightness should be favoured in those species that are active when light is scarce, i.e. at dawn and dusk. The eagle owl Bubo bubo is monogamous and apparently monomorphic in plumage-coloration. In this species, sexual and territorial call behaviour is mainly performed at dawn and dusk, during which a white patch on the throat is repeatedly exposed at each call. We measured the total light reflectance of the feathers of this badge in 39 eagle owl specimens from museum collections. We found seasonal variability and sexual dichromatism in the brightness of the plumage badge. The total reflectance of this trait peaked during the territorial-mating period. Moreover, females showed higher values of brightness than males, in agreement with the reversed body size dimorphism present in this and many other raptor species. Finally, female but not male body size was positively correlated with white badge reflectance. © Journal of Avian Biology.Peer ReviewedBlackwell Publishing2012201220062012info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501http://hdl.handle.net/10261/59632reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglésinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/596322026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo bubo
title Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo bubo
spellingShingle Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo bubo
Penteriani, Vincenzo
title_short Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo bubo
title_full Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo bubo
title_fullStr Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo bubo
title_full_unstemmed Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo bubo
title_sort Brightness variability in the white badge of the eagle owl Bubo bubo
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Penteriani, Vincenzo
Alonso-Álvarez, Carlos
Delgado Sánchez, María del Mar
Sergio, Fabrizio
Ferrer, Miguel
author Penteriani, Vincenzo
author_facet Penteriani, Vincenzo
Alonso-Álvarez, Carlos
Delgado Sánchez, María del Mar
Sergio, Fabrizio
Ferrer, Miguel
author_role author
author2 Alonso-Álvarez, Carlos
Delgado Sánchez, María del Mar
Sergio, Fabrizio
Ferrer, Miguel
author2_role author
author
author
author
description The application of modern spectrometry to the study of avian colour variability has revealed ignored patterns of colour variation such as male-biased sexual dichromatism and seasonal variability in the plumage. However, the variation in the achromatic property of such traits, that is in the total light reflectance of the spectrum (i.e., brightness), has commonly been overlooked. The evolution of signals based on brightness should be favoured in those species that are active when light is scarce, i.e. at dawn and dusk. The eagle owl Bubo bubo is monogamous and apparently monomorphic in plumage-coloration. In this species, sexual and territorial call behaviour is mainly performed at dawn and dusk, during which a white patch on the throat is repeatedly exposed at each call. We measured the total light reflectance of the feathers of this badge in 39 eagle owl specimens from museum collections. We found seasonal variability and sexual dichromatism in the brightness of the plumage badge. The total reflectance of this trait peaked during the territorial-mating period. Moreover, females showed higher values of brightness than males, in agreement with the reversed body size dimorphism present in this and many other raptor species. Finally, female but not male body size was positively correlated with white badge reflectance. © Journal of Avian Biology.
publishDate 2006
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2006
2012
2012
2012
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/59632
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/59632
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Blackwell Publishing
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Blackwell Publishing
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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