CALCIUM AVAILABILITY LIMITS REPRODUCTIVE OUTPUT OF TREE SWALLOWS (TACHYCINETA BICOLOR) IN A NONACIDIFIED LANDSCAPE

• Published in: The Auk 2005-01, Vol.122 (1), p.246-254
• Main Authors: Bidwell, Mark T, Dawson, Russell D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal migration; Animal reproduction; Aviculture; Bird nesting; Birds; Calcium; calcium limitation; clutch initiation date; clutch size; Egg masses; egg size; Eggs; Female animals; Females; Hatching; hatching success; nutrient limitation; Swallows; Wild birds
• ISSN: 0004-8038; 1938-4254; 2732-4613
• DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2005)122[0246:CALROO]2.0.CO;2

Breeding birds require high levels of energy and certain nutrients, such as calcium. The extent to which calcium limits reproduction in wild birds is unclear. We performed a supplementation experiment to determine whether calcium limits the reproductive output of free-ranging insectivorous Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), a species whose usual diet contains little calcium. Providing supplemental calcium in the form of crushed oyster shell did not affect clutch initiation date, but it caused birds that had not started constructing a nest when we first detected them on the study area to begin laying sooner, which suggests that calcium reduced the length of the prelaying period. Supplemented females produced larger eggs, and that effect was most pronounced among females in good body condition. There was a trend for supplemented birds to produce larger clutches, and their clutches had significantly greater total mass than those of control birds. Supplemented birds, in particular those breeding late in the season, also hatched significantly more eggs. Our results suggest that calcium availability may limit some aspects of avian reproduction, even in nonacidified landscapes like our study area, where levels of calcium in the soil are high. La Disponibilidad de Calcio Limita el Rendimiento Reproductivo de Tachycineta bicolor en un Paisaje no Acidificado