Journal article

Authors list: Etchart, Lea; Lecomte, Nicolas; Dechaume-Moncharmont, Francois-Xavier; Moreau, Jerome; Lang, Johannes; Pagnon, Thomas; Sittler, Benoit; Teixeira, Maria; Bollache, Loic; Gilg, Olivier

Publication year: 2024

Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Volume number: 291

Issue number: 2017

ISSN: 0962-8452

eISSN: 1471-2954

Open access status: Hybrid

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2264

Publisher: The Royal Society

Abstract: 
Complex incubation strategies have evolved to solve the trade-off between parent survival and care for their eggs with often brief departures (recesses) that maximize egg survival, and infrequent extended recesses maximizing adult condition. Here we examined incubation behaviour of sanderlings (Calidris alba), a species that exhibits both biparental and uniparental incubation behaviour. During 11 breeding seasons in Greenland, we have quantified incubation variability with thermologgers placed in nests. We estimated the impact of environmental conditions and individual characteristics on the occurrence and the duration of recesses. We found that extended recesses are a unique feature of uniparentals, and their frequency and duration increased in colder temperatures. The relationship was mediated by body condition, with individuals in poor condition performing longer extended recesses in colder temperatures. This suggests that extended recesses may represent a shift towards self-maintenance at the expense of the egg care, allowing birds to continue incubating under unfavourable conditions. Our study illustrates how extended recesses may be a key breeding strategy to overcome high energetic costs associated with incubation. Quantifying such behavioural flexibility paves the way for tracking future behavioural responses of individuals in the face of changing environments.

Harvard Citation style: Etchart, L., Lecomte, N., Dechaume-Moncharmont, F., Moreau, J., Lang, J., Pagnon, T., et al. (2024) Extended incubation recesses in sanderlings are impacted by temperature and body condition, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291(2017), Article 20232264. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2264

APA Citation style: Etchart, L., Lecomte, N., Dechaume-Moncharmont, F., Moreau, J., Lang, J., Pagnon, T., Sittler, B., Teixeira, M., Bollache, L., & Gilg, O. (2024). Extended incubation recesses in sanderlings are impacted by temperature and body condition. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 291(2017), Article 20232264. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2264