'Green incubation': avian offspring benefit from aromatic nest herbs through improved parental incubation behaviour

Development of avian embryos requires thermal energy, usually from parents. Parents may, however, trade off catering for embryonic requirements against their own need to forage through intermittent incubation. This dynamically adjusted behaviour can be affected by properties of the nest. Here, we ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2018-06, Vol.285 (1880), p.20180376-20180376
Main Authors: Gwinner, Helga, Capilla-Lasheras, Pablo, Cooper, Caren, Helm, Barbara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Behaviour
Embryos
Fitness
Hatching
Herbs
Incubation
Longevity
Nesting Behavior
Nests
Offspring
Parental behavior
Parents
Pharmacology
Starlings - growth & development
Starlings - physiology
Thermal energy
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Summary:Development of avian embryos requires thermal energy, usually from parents. Parents may, however, trade off catering for embryonic requirements against their own need to forage through intermittent incubation. This dynamically adjusted behaviour can be affected by properties of the nest. Here, we experimentally show a novel mechanism by which parents, through incorporation of aromatic herbs into nests, effectively modify their incubation behaviour to the benefit of their offspring. Our study species, the European starling, includes in its nest aromatic herbs which promote offspring fitness. We provided wild starlings with artificial nests including or excluding the typically selected fresh herbs and found strong support for our prediction of facilitated incubation. Herb effects were not explained by thermal changes of the nests , but by modified parental behaviours. Egg temperatures and nest attendance were higher in herb than herbless nests, egg temperatures dropped less frequently below critical thresholds and parents started their active day earlier. These effects were dynamic over time and particularly strong during early incubation. Incubation period was shorter in herb nests, and nestlings were heavier one week after hatching. Aromatic herbs hence influenced incubation in beneficial ways for offspring, possibly through pharmacological effects on incubating parents.
ISSN:0962-8452
1471-2954
DOI:10.1098/rspb.2018.0376