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Covariation between protandry and sexual size dimorphism is age specific in songbirds

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Abstract

In many migratory songbirds, males arrive earlier at stopover sites and at the breeding grounds (‘protandry’) and older birds precede younger ones, but less is known about age differences in protandry. In seasonal environments, differential timing by sex and age is thought to reflect selection imposed by seasonality (i.e., viability selection) and intrasexual competition for space and mates. Viability and sexual selection can also favor male-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD), leading to a positive relationship between protandry and SSD among species. We evaluated whether the relationship between protandry during spring migration and SSD in wing length (SSDW) differed between age classes in 20 sexually dimorphic songbirds. Consistent with the hypothesis that older, higher-quality males can better afford to arrive early, we found a stronger relationship between protandry and SSDW among older birds than among first-time breeders. We also tested the relationship between protandry and sexual size dimorphism of the wingtip (SSDWT) and found that greater age differences in protandry were related to greater age differences in SSDWT. We conclude that larger body sizes, energetically efficient wing shapes, and experience together select for the earlier arrival timing of older males relative to first-time breeding males and females.

Zusammenfassung

Der Zusammenhang zwischen Protandrie und Größendimorphismus beider Geschlechter ist bei Singvögeln altersspezifisch

Bei vielen Zugvögeln kommen die Männchen früher an den Rastplätzen und in den Brutgebieten an („Protandrie“), und die älteren Vögel kommen vor den jüngeren, aber über Altersunterschiede bei der Protandrie ist wenig bekannt. Für jahreszeitlich wechselnde Lebensräume wird angenommen, dass ein unterschiedliches Timing nach Alter und Geschlecht eine von der Jahreszeit abhängige Selektion (d.h. Selektion der Lebensfähigkeit) und einen innergeschlechtlichen Wettbewerb um Raum und Partner widerspiegelt. Lebensfähigkeit und sexuelle Selektion könnten auch einen die Männchen bevorzugenden Geschlechts-Größendimorphismus (SSD) begünstigen, was bei diesen Arten zu einem positiven Zusammenhang zwischen Protandrie und SSD führen würde. Wir untersuchten bei 20 geschlechtsdimorphen Singvögeln, ob sich der Zusammenhang zwischen Protandrie während des Frühjahrszuges und SSD in der Flügellänge (SSDW) zwischen den verschiedenen Altersklassen unterscheidet. Im Einklang mit der Hypothese, dass es sich ältere, qualitativ bessere Männchen eher leisten können, früher anzukommen, fanden wir bei älteren Vögeln einen stärkeren Zusammenhang zwischen Protandrie und SSDW als bei Erstbrütern. Wir untersuchten auch den Zusammenhang zwischen Protandrie und Geschlechts-Größendimorphismus bei den Flügelspitzen (SSDWT) und stellten fest, dass größere Altersunterschiede in der Protandrie mit größeren Altersunterschieden in der SSDWT zusammenhängen. Wir schließen daraus, dass alles zusammen—größere Körpergrößen, energetisch effiziente Flügelformen und Erfahrung—einer früheren Ankunft älterer Männchen im Vergleich zu erstmalig brütenden Männchen und Weibchen einen Selektionsvorteil bietet.

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Data availability

The Canadian Migration Monitoring Network data that support the findings of this study are available with permission from NatureCounts, a node of the Avian Knowledge Network, Birds Canada. [“http://www.naturecounts.ca”].

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Acknowledgements

We thank Long Point Bird Observatory for supplying Canadian Migration Monitoring Network data, and all the volunteer participants who gathered data for the project. We are also thankful to Lauren Negrazis, Brittany Cooke, and David Burgess for help in the field, and D.J. Schramm for conducting the molecular sexing. Lastly, we would like to thank D. Rubolini and an anonymous reviewer for taking the time and effort to provide constructive feedback, valuable suggestions, and careful editing, which helped in improving the quality of the manuscript.

Funding

Funding contributions from Yolanda E. Morbey and Christopher G. Guglielmo were supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grants. Contributions from Jessica E. Deakin were supported by a NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship—Doctoral.

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  1. Department of Biology, Centre for Animals on the Move, University of Western Ontario, ON, London, Canada

    Jessica E. Deakin, Christopher G. Guglielmo & Yolanda E. Morbey

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  1. Jessica E. Deakin
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  3. Yolanda E. Morbey
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All authors worked to conceive and design this study. JED processed the banding data and conducted the statistical analyses with guidance from YEM. The first draft of the manuscript was written by JED and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jessica E. Deakin.

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Deakin, J.E., Guglielmo, C.G. & Morbey, Y.E. Covariation between protandry and sexual size dimorphism is age specific in songbirds. J Ornithol 165, 157–167 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-023-02082-8

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