Heavy metal pollution exposure affects egg coloration but not male provisioning effort in the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68081766%3A_____%2F25%3A00587715" target="_blank" >RIV/68081766:_____/25:00587715 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jav.03283" target="_blank" >https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jav.03283</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.03283" target="_blank" >10.1111/jav.03283</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Heavy metal pollution exposure affects egg coloration but not male provisioning effort in the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
Original language description
Heavy metal pollution is known to negatively affect numerous traits in birds, including foraging, metabolism, immunity, and reproductive success. In this study, our primary aim was to assess the impact of metal pollution exposure on the visual appearance of the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca eggs. Specifically, we focused on blue-green biliverdin-based coloration, a trait expected to function as a signal of female quality to males. In line with the sexually selected egg coloration (SSEC) hypothesis, which posits that males respond to more intensely colored eggs by increasing their provisioning effort, our second objective was to investigate whether metal pollution exposure affects this specific signaling mechanism and subsequent male behavior. Our results showed that although coloration did not correlate with female quality or male provisioning effort, egg blue-green coloration decreased in polluted areas compared to non-polluted control areas. Our analysis of reflectance data revealed that this difference was due to an increased ultraviolet reflectance of eggs from polluted areas, likely caused by changes in eggshell microstructure (e.g. porosity). We therefore propose that metal pollution exposure may compromise crucial color signals of bird eggs. Avian visual modeling indicated that eggs laid by different flycatcher females are generally very similar, making discrimination by males challenging and perhaps impossible especially in dark cavities. Overall, our results suggest that the SSEC hypothesis may lack adaptive relevance for the pied flycatcher in northern Europe, even in environments influenced by anthropogenic activities.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10615 - Ornithology
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/GJ20-06110Y" target="_blank" >GJ20-06110Y: Conspecific brood parasitism in an altricial passerine: physiological conditions, behavioural adaptations and fitness consequences</a><br>
Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Journal of Avian Biology
ISSN
0908-8857
e-ISSN
1600-048X
Volume of the periodical
2025
Issue of the periodical within the volume
1
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
11
Pages from-to
e03283
UT code for WoS article
001249693500001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85196083920