Possible relationships between morphology, territory quality, and skin color of American Kestrels
Possible relationships between morphology, territory quality, and skin color of American Kestrels
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1557-9263.2006.00069.x
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发表时间：
2006-09-01
影响因子：
0.9
通讯作者：
Ritchison, Gary
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Bostrom, Mark R.;Ritchison, Gary
在繁殖季节，以类胡萝卜素为基础的皮肤和羽毛颜色已被发现与许多鸟类的个体质量相关。然而，人们对这些信号在非繁殖期的可能作用知之甚少，特别是在保卫冬季领地的非雀形目动物中。美洲红隼（Falco sparverius）是两性二态猛禽，保卫冬季领地，具有类胡萝卜素为基础的形态特征，已知与个体质量相关。关于红隼的冬季领地利用和栖息地分离，我们已经了解了很多，但形态学特征、个体质量和栖息地质量之间可能存在的关系尚未得到研究。我们的目的是研究美国红隼的形态、领地质量和肤色之间可能存在的关系。雄红隼的皮肤比雌红隼明亮，且肤色与体型（翼弦和尾长）和领地质量（树冠少、草盖多的猎区）呈正相关。雌性红隼没有发现这种关系。肤色似乎是雄性美国红隼品质的可靠指标，在繁殖期和非繁殖期，肤色可能同时具有雌雄间性（领地获取）和雌雄间性（配偶选择）的功能。
Carotenoid-based coloration of skin and plumage has been found to be correlated with individual quality in many species of birds during the breeding season. However, less is known about the possible role of these signals during the nonbreeding season, particularly among nonpasserines that defend winter territories. American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) are sexually dimorphic raptors that defend winter territories and possess carotenoid-based morphological features known to be correlated with individual quality. Much is known about winter territory use and habitat segregation by male and female kestrels, but possible relationships among morphological features, individual quality and habitat quality have not been examined. Our objective was to examine possible relationships between morphology, territory quality, and skin color of American Kestrels. Male kestrels had brighter skin than females, and the skin color of male kestrels was positively correlated with size (wing chord and tail length) and territorial quality (hunting territories with less canopy and more grass cover). No such relationships were found for female kestrels. Skin color appears to be an honest indicator of quality for male American Kestrels and may serve both intersexual (territory acquisition) and intersexual (mate choice) functions during the breeding and nonbreeding seasons.