Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Effects of Testosterone On Nest-Box Occupation and Associated Behaviours By Male European Starlings (Sturnus Vulgaris)

Effects of Testosterone On Nest-Box Occupation and Associated Behaviours By Male European... AbstractIn an aviary experiment carried out at the beginning of the breeding season in March and April, nest-box occupation and associated behaviours were observed in a group of 18 adult and 18 first-year male European starlings. Nine birds of each group carried a testosterone implant (T-males) and the other 9 an empty implant (C-males). When analyzed for effects of age, first year birds were significantly more active with regard to nest-box inspection and nest-building than adults. When analyzed for effects of treatment, T-males occupied more nest-boxes and visited their nest-boxes more often than C-males. Other activities like singing, nest-box inspection, nest-building and aggressive behaviour were not significantly different between T-males and C-males. We suggest that the absence of a significant effect of T on aggression may be related to the colonial nesting habits of the starling. Since T-males tended to be more active with regard to all behaviours studied testosterone may have led to a general increase in frequency and persistence of behaviour which in turn facilitated nest-box occupation. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Behaviour Brill

Effects of Testosterone On Nest-Box Occupation and Associated Behaviours By Male European Starlings (Sturnus Vulgaris)

Gwinner, Helga; Gwinner, Eberhard
Behaviour , Volume 129 (1-2): 8 – Jan 1, 1994
Download PDF
8 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/brill/effects-of-testosterone-on-nest-box-occupation-and-associated-pmLgeEVMUE

References (13)

Publisher
Brill
Copyright
Copyright © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
ISSN
0005-7959
eISSN
1568-539X
DOI
10.1163/156853994x00398
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractIn an aviary experiment carried out at the beginning of the breeding season in March and April, nest-box occupation and associated behaviours were observed in a group of 18 adult and 18 first-year male European starlings. Nine birds of each group carried a testosterone implant (T-males) and the other 9 an empty implant (C-males). When analyzed for effects of age, first year birds were significantly more active with regard to nest-box inspection and nest-building than adults. When analyzed for effects of treatment, T-males occupied more nest-boxes and visited their nest-boxes more often than C-males. Other activities like singing, nest-box inspection, nest-building and aggressive behaviour were not significantly different between T-males and C-males. We suggest that the absence of a significant effect of T on aggression may be related to the colonial nesting habits of the starling. Since T-males tended to be more active with regard to all behaviours studied testosterone may have led to a general increase in frequency and persistence of behaviour which in turn facilitated nest-box occupation.

Journal

Behaviour – Brill

Published: Jan 1, 1994

There are no references for this article.