Abstract
Survival and reproduction of young can be affected by growth parameters. It is thus important to estimate intraspecific growth rate variability and environmental factors affecting growth to better understand the dynamics of populations and the potential impacts of environmental changes. Growth parameters of White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings were estimated in eastern Algeria, in the southern part of the species’ range. A total of 2,756 measurements of 65 nestlings from 18 nests were taken for body mass, and tarsus, wing and bill lengths. Individual growth data were used to investigate the effects of nest occupation date, laying and hatching dates, clutch size, number of hatchlings, productivity, hatching order, and brood reduction on nestling growth patterns. Body mass and bill length growth rates were lower in the studied population than in a more northerly White Stork population. This supports the hypothesis of a geographic variation in intraspecific growth parameters. Chicks from nests occupied early reached higher asymptotic body mass but tended to grow more slowly. However, chicks from late arriving birds compensated for the difference in body mass and wing length by higher growth rates. Wing length was significantly affected by asynchrony and hatching order. Last hatched chicks had larger asymptotic wing lengths, lower wing growth rates and longer growth periods. Wings of nestlings from highly asynchronous broods grew faster but took more time to attain the inflection point. Brood reduction had a negative effect on nestling bill length at hatching. Chicks from nests with little brood reduction had a longer bill at hatching than nestlings from nests with high brood reduction.
Zusammenfassung
Einflussfaktoren auf die Wachstumsparameter von im östlichen Algerien brütenden Weißstörchen ( Ciconia ciconia ) Überleben und Fortpflanzung können von Wachstumsparametern beeinflusst werden. Für ein besseres Verständnis der Dynamik in Populationen und möglicher Auswirkungen von Umweltveränderungen ist es deshalb wichtig, die Variabilität der innerartlichen Wachstumsraten und die das Wachstum beeinflussenden Umweltfaktoren einschätzen zu können. Wachstumsparameter von Nestlingen des Weißstorchs (Ciconia ciconia) in Ostalgerien, dem südlichen Teil des Verbreitungsgebietes dieser Art, wurden ermittelt: Zur Bestimmung der Körpermasse sowie der Längen von Schnäbeln, Flügeln und Tarsen wurden 2.756 Messungen an 65 Nestlingen aus 18 Nestern vorgenommen. Der Untersuchung möglicher Effekte auf das Wachstum der geschlüpften Jungen dienten individuelle Wachstumsdaten: das Datum der Nestbesetzung, des Eierlegens, des Schlüpfens, der Gelegegröße, der Anzahl der geschlüpften Jungen, der Reihenfolge des Schlüpfens und der Brutreduktion. In der von uns untersuchten Population waren die Wachstumsraten von Schnabellängen und Körpermassen geringer als in einer weiter nördlich gelegenen Weißstorch-Population, was die Hypothese einer geographischen Variabilität der innerartlichen Wachstumsparameter unterstützt. Küken von Eltern, die früh bei ihren Nestern ankamen, erzielten höhere asymptotische Körpermassen, zeigten aber eine Tendenz, langsamer zu wachsen. Hingegen kompensierten Küken von spät ankommenden Eltern den Unterschied in Körpermasse und Flügellänge durch eine höhere Wachstumsrate. Asymmetrisches Brüten sowie die Reihenfolge des Schlüpfens hatten eine signifikante Auswirkung auf die Flügellänge. Zuletzt geschlüpfte Küken zeigten größere asymptotische Flügellängen, geringeres Flügelwachstum und insgesamt längere Wachstumsphasen. Die Flügel von Nestlingen aus stark asymmetrischen Bruten wuchsen schneller, brauchten aber länger, um den Wendepunkt zu erreichen. Brutreduktion hatte einen negativen Einfluss auf die Schnabellängen zum Zeitpunkt des Schlüpfens; Küken aus Gelegen mit geringer Brutreduktion hatten zum Zeitpunkt des Schlüpfens längere Schnäbel als Küken aus Nestern mit hoher Brutreduktion.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the owners of Massine Farm (Constantine) for helping and letting us work on their private property. We thank three anonymous reviewers for providing helpful comments and suggestions for improving the manuscript. This study was conducted in agreement with the current laws in Algeria.
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Communicated by F. Bairlein.
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Benharzallah, N., Si Bachir, A., Taleb, F. et al. Factors affecting growth parameters of White Stork nestlings in eastern Algeria. J Ornithol 156, 601–612 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1162-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1162-0