Within-brood size differences, sex and parasites determine blood stress protein levels in Eurasian Kestrel nestlings

Jesus Martinez-Padilla, J. Martinez, J A Davila, S Merino, J Moreno, Jose M Bellido-Millan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

49 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

1. Brood hierarchies established through hatching asynchrony are supposed to be costly for small chicks because of impaired growth and survival. An additional cost that has remained unexplored is the stress imposed by competition for resources in the nest.

2. In the present study of broods of Eurasian kestrels, we have used the level of heat shock proteins such as Hsp60 and Hsp70 in peripheral blood as well as the heterophile/lymphocyte ratio to detect stress in nestlings. The sex of nestlings and their Caryospora sp. oocyst excretion were included in analyses.

3. Nestlings showing a large size difference with respect to their largest sibling had higher levels of both stress proteins, and this effect was stronger for female chicks as indicated by a significant interaction sex x size difference, presumably because of their higher food requirements for growth. Nestlings for which the largest sibling was a female had higher levels of Hsp60 than when it was a male. The heterophile/lymphocyte index was a much poorer predictor of competitive stress.

4. Stress proteins are effective estimators of competitive, nutritional and parasite-mediated stress of nestlings in the wild. The cost of sustained stress has to be included in future analyses of the fitness repercussions of dominance hierarchies in avian broods.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)426-434
Number of pages9
JournalFunctional Ecology
Volume18
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2004

Keywords

  • Caryospora sp.
  • Falco tinnunculus
  • hatching asynchrony
  • Hsp60
  • sibling competition
  • HEAT-SHOCK-PROTEIN
  • SWALLOWS HIRUNDO-RUSTICA
  • AMERICAN KESTRELS
  • HATCHING ASYNCHRONY
  • BARN SWALLOWS
  • SIBLING COMPETITION
  • BEGGING BEHAVIOR
  • FOOD SHORTAGE
  • BIRDS
  • GROWTH
  • sibling competition
  • heat-shock-protein
  • swallows hirundo-rustica
  • american kestrels
  • barn swallows
  • begging behavior
  • food shortage

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