Effects of access to preen gland secretions on mallard plumage |
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Authors: | Mathieu Giraudeau Camille Duval Noel Guillon Vincent Bretagnolle Claude Gutierrez Philipp Heeb |
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Institution: | 1. Université de Toulouse, UPS, EDB (Laboratoire évolution et Diversité Biologique), UMR 5174, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse, France 2. CNRS, EDB (Laboratoire évolution et Diversité Biologique), Toulouse, 31062, France 5. School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4501, USA 6. Centre for Ornithology, School of Biosciences, Birmingham University, Birmingham, UK 3. Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS UPR 1934, 79360, Beauvoir-sur-Niort, France 4. Laboratoire de Microbiologie et Génétique Moléculaire (LMGM), UMR 5100, UPS, 31000, Toulouse, France
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Abstract: | Preen glands exist in almost every bird species and several non-exclusive functions have been proposed for this gland and
the oils that it produces. One function generally admitted is that the oily secretions of the preen gland would provide a
waterproofing layer when spread over feathers. Alternatively, several authors have proposed that plumage waterproofness is
mostly due to the spatial micro-structure of feathers. The purpose of this study was to examine, by manipulating the access
to the preen gland, the effect of the preen oil on the plumage waterproofness and condition. To explore this question, we
carried out two independent experiments where we temporarily blocked access to the preen gland secretions with a removable
mechanism in one group of captive mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), whilst a second group of birds had access to gland secretions. In a long-term experiment (3 months of treatment) and a
short-term experiment (10 days), we measured plumage water retention and condition. After 3 months without access to preen
glands, we found a significant decrease of plumage condition and an associated increase in plumage water retention. Moreover,
we found a significant correlation between plumage condition and water retention ability. In contrast, after 10 days of treatment,
no significant effect was found on plumage condition and water retention. Our study shows that preen oil acts to maintain
plumage condition and suggests that feather microstructure is essential to maintain plumage waterproofness. |
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