CORTICOSTERONE LEVELS IN RELATION TO CHANGE OF MATE IN BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES

In birds, changing mates generally results in decreased breeding success. Although costs and benefits of pair break-up have been well studied, endocrine mechanisms associated with mate change are poorly known. We measured baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels in relation to mate change i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Condor (Los Angeles, Calif.) Calif.), 2007-08, Vol.109 (3), p.668-674
Main Authors: ANGELIER, FREDERIC, MOE, BØRGE, CLEMENT-CHASTEL, CELINE, BECH, CLAUS, CHASTEL, OLIVIER
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal ecology
Animal reproduction
Aviculture
Bird songs
Birds
Black-legged Kittiwake
Body condition
Breeding
Breeding seasons
Breeding success
Corticosterone
Hormones
Male animals
mate change
Mating behavior
Ornithology
Rissa tridactyla
seabird
SHORT COMMUNICATIONS
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Summary:In birds, changing mates generally results in decreased breeding success. Although costs and benefits of pair break-up have been well studied, endocrine mechanisms associated with mate change are poorly known. We measured baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels in relation to mate change in Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). Baseline corticosterone levels were higher in kittiwakes breeding with a new mate than in kittiwakes that did not change mate. Stress-induced corticosterone levels were not influenced by change of mate. Elevated baseline corticosterone levels in birds breeding with a new mate could result from the social stress associated with pair break-up or mirror a higher energetic demand resulting from a lack of coordination between new pair members. Our results emphasize the usefulness of corticosterone levels in elucidating the effects of mate change on the energetic demands of reproduction in free-living birds.
ISSN:0010-5422
1938-5129
2732-4621
DOI:10.1650/8227.1