Clutch size and the cost of incubation in the Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata var. domestica) |
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| Authors: | Ronald M Coleman Robin D Whittall |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, V5A 1S6 Burnaby, B.C., Canada;(2) Vancouver Public Aquarium, Stanley Park, P.O. Box 3232, V6B 3X8 Vancouver, B.C., Canada;(3) Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, M5S 1A1 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Abstract: | Summary By measuring daily intake of food, we compared the cost of incubation for small and large clutches in adult Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata var. domestica). Natural clutches of captive finches were experimentally manipulated to produce two egg or six egg clutches. While incubating large clutches, parents ate significantly more food and took longer to hatch their first egg than did the same birds when provided with small clutches. This supports the hypothesis that the cost of incubation increases with clutch size. This cost should influence other energy allocation decisions in birds such as determination of clutch size and parental investment decisions. |
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