White tail markings are an indicator of quality and affect mate preference in rock sparrows |
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Authors: | Matteo Griggio Francisco Valera Alejandro Casas-Crivillé Herbert Hoi Andrés Barbosa |
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Institution: | 1.Konrad Lorenz Institute for Ethology, Austrian Academy of Sciences,Vienna,Austria;2.Estación Experimental de Zonas áridas, CSIC,Almeria,Spain;3.Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC,Madrid,Spain |
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Abstract: | In birds, colourful and elaborate feathers are important traits in mate choice. Distinct tail white patches are present in
many species of birds, but they remain little studied. Tail markings may indeed have a signal function because in many species
males spread the tail offering a good view of these markings to females during courtship behaviour. Here, we investigated
whether white tail spots in male rock sparrow, Petronia petronia, play a role in mate choice. In a free-living population of rock sparrows, we found a reduction in white tail spots size
as the breeding season progressed due to abrasion, which was expected if tail spots act as a reliable quality indicator (i.e.
a handicap). The same reduction was found under captive conditions, and males in worse condition (individuals that lost more
weight) abraded a bigger part of white. This suggests that white tail markings are an indicator of male quality. In captivity,
we measured female preference for males differing in white patch size in a mate choice experiment. The experimental reduction
of the size of the males’ white spots resulted in a lower sexual interest by females. During courtship display, male rock
sparrow shows a yellow breast patch (a carotenoid-based, sexually selected ornament) together with the white spots in the
tail. The sizes of these two traits are positively correlated, but only the abraded white area in the tail correlates with
a surrogate of individual quality (lost of weight). In conclusion, we can assert that the size of the white spots is preferred
by female rock sparrows and it is a part of a multiple signal system. |
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