Consequences of Parental Care: Male and Female Eastern Bluebird Delivery of Food to Chicks

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Consequences of Parental Care Male and Female
Eastern Bluebird Delivery of Food to Chicks

• India Peek Jensen REACH Program
• Spring Lake High School
• Mentors Dr. Kathy Winnett-Murray and Dr. Greg
  Fraley

animals.nationalgeographic.com/.../bluebird.html
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Introduction

• From a scientific standpoint
• Parental effort is a large part of understanding
  how the environment influences the social and
  mating systems of animals.
• From a wildlife management standpoint
• We want to know how changes in the environment
  are influencing the sustainability of this
  population through behaviors like parental care.

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Background

• Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)
• 1970s-80s EB population in MI plummeted.
• Reproductive Habits
• Typically monogamous
• 4-6 eggs
• Primarily insectivorous

J.H. Campbell Complex, Consumers Energy
http//www.pbase.com/uncledave/image/74457096
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Bird Composition in Nest Boxes Since 1992
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Research Questions

• Difference between sexes in food delivery?
• Do differences affect reproductive success?
• How is this related to nest defense?

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Male and Female Eastern Bluebird
flickr.com/photos/12369485_at_N05/1361846793/
www.nebraskabirds.com/bluebirds.php
Male
Female
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What I did

• Behavior Observations
• Nest Checks

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Example of Behavior Data Sheet
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Delivery of Food to Chicks by Male and Female
Wilcoxon z0.15698, df1, P0.8753, no
significant difference between males and females
in delivery trips per minute
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Proportion of Deliveries That Were Large Insects
Wilcoxon z-0.1778608, df1, P0.8588324, no
significant difference between male and female
load sizes
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Brood Time by Male and Female
Wilcoxon z-2.6679113, df1, P 0.0076324,
significant difference between males and females
in brood time per minute
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Delivery Rates to Young and Old Chicks by Male
and Female
Mann Whitney U (Females) 12.50, df1, P0.1227
Mann Whitney U (Males) 33.00, df1, P0.2764, no
significant difference between male and female
delivery rates to young and old chicks
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Energetic Tradeoff in Parental Care
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Conclusion

• Males and females exhibit similar effort in
  feeding chicks, both in the number of deliveries
  to the nest and the relative size of those food
  loads.
• Although responsibilities may differ at different
  stages of chick development (e.g. brooding vs.
  feeding) the overall effort appears to be
  similar, just as in the equal effort males and
  females show in nest defense.

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Acknowledgements

• REACH Program
• Dean of the Natural Sciences Division at Hope
  College, Dr. Moses Lee
• Mentors, Dr. Winnett-Murray and Dr. Fraley
• Fellow Research Students Joel Evenhouse, Jillian
  Greshel, Jacquelyn Randolet, Tim Paver, Brian
  Puls, Joel Evenhouse
• Mrs. Schanhals, Spring Lake High School
• Consumers Energy

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