Abstract
The length of the ornamental tail rectrices has been shown to be an important condition-dependent sexually selected trait in various bird species. Similarly, the shape and depth of the tail fork may represent a costly sexual signal that enhances individual attractiveness but compromises flight manoeuvrability. Avian flight feathers, including ornamental rectrices, generally become longer in successive years. In this study, we analysed age and sex differences in the length of central tail feathers and the depth of the tail fork in 141 Barn Swallows observed repeatedly over consecutive years. As expected, tail fork depth was mainly determined by the length of the outer ornamental tail streamers and to some extent to the non-ornamental central feathers, with individuals with deeper forks having longer outer streamers and shorter central tail feathers. Central tail feathers were sexually dimorphic and shorter in males than females. We also found an unexpected pattern of shortening of central tail feathers with increasing age that contributed to an age-related increase in tail fork depth in both sexes. The shortening of central tail feathers was achieved by the reduction of daily feather growth rates and not by feather abrasion. To the best of our knowledge, our study provides the first evidence of age-related continuous shortening of flight feathers in an avian species and suggests a possible sexual role of central tail feather length in Barn Swallows.
Zusammenfassung
Ein unerwartetes altersbedingtes Muster im Federwachstum trägt zur altersabhängigen Ornamentexpression eines Singvogels bei. Es ist bekannt, dass die Länge ornamentaler Steuerfedern bei verschiedenen Vogelarten ein wichtiges konditionsabhängiges und der sexuellen Selektion unterworfenes Merkmal darstellt. Auf ähnliche Weise können Form und Tiefe der Schwanzgabelung ein kostspieliges sexuelles Signal darstellen, welches zwar die individuelle Attraktivität erhöht, aber die Manövrierfähigkeit beim Flug behindert. Bei Vögeln werden die Federn des Großgefieders, darunter auch ornamentale Steuerfedern, in der Regel mit den Jahren länger. In dieser Studie analysierten wir Alters- und Geschlechtsunterschiede bezüglich der Länge der mittleren Steuerfedern sowie der Tiefe der Schwanzgabelung bei 141 Rauchschwalben Hirundo rustica, welche über eine Reihe von Jahren hinweg wiederholt beobachtet wurden. Erwartungsgemäß wurde die Tiefe der Schwanzgabelung hauptsächlich durch die Länge der ornamental verlängerten äußeren Steuerfedern sowie in gewissem Maße durch die nicht-ornamentalen mittleren Federn bestimmt, wobei Individuen mit tieferer Gabelung längere äußere Schmuckfedern und kürzere mittlere Steuerfedern hatten. Die mittleren Steuerfedern wiesen einen Geschlechtsdimorphismus auf und waren bei den Männchen kürzer als bei den Weibchen. Außerdem entdeckten wir ein unerwartetes Muster verkürzter mittlerer Steuerfedern mit zunehmendem Alter, welches bei beiden Geschlechtern zu der altersabhängigen Vertiefung der Schwanzgabelung beiträgt. Die Verkürzung der mittleren Steuerfedern wurde durch die Reduktion der täglichen Federwachstumsrate bewirkt, nicht durch Gefiederabnutzung. Soweit wir wissen, liefert unsere Studie die ersten Belege für eine altersabhängige fortlaufende Verkürzung von Federn des Großgefieders bei einer Vogelart und weist auf eine mögliche geschlechtsspezifische Rolle der Länge der mittleren Steuerfedern bei Rauchschwalben hin.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to farm owners, namely Kotrba, Pulec and Kraus families, and to many people who contributed to the fieldwork. The study was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (projects 19-22538S, 21-22160S and 20-06110Y).
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Field procedures and sampling were performed by all authors. Sample preparation and ptilochronological analyses were performed by MA. Statistical analysis was performed by MA and TA. The first draft of the manuscript was written by MA with assistance from TA, all authors revised and finalized the manuscript.
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All Barn Swallow captures and handling were performed under ringing permit of Bird Ringing Station, National Museum of Czech Republic, in compliance with Czech laws and regulations.
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Adámková, M., Tomášek, O. & Albrecht, T. An unexpected age-related pattern in feather growth contributes to age-dependent ornament expression in a passerine bird. J Ornithol 163, 987–996 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-022-01990-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-022-01990-5