Characteristics of body mass growth in semialtricial and altricial bird species during the nestling period

Abstract

The dynamics of body mass growth were studied in nestlings of 22 semialtricial and altricial bird species based on materials collected in seven regions of Russia in the years 1976–2013. The bird species belong to four orders and 13 families. The results of the study indicate the nonuniform growth of nestlings in different bird species. Of the species investigated, only seven were found to reach or exceed the mass of adult birds. Over the nestling period, the nestlings of open-nesting species, such as the hooded crow (Corvus cornix), rook (Corvus frugilegus), magpie (Pica pica), fieldfare (Turdus pilaris), song thrush (Turdus philomelos), and goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), do not reach the weight of adult birds and their growth continues after they leave the nest. In closed-nesting species, only the nestlings of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) reach or exceed the definitive mass, whereas the nestlings of the jackdaw (Corvus monedula), starling (Sturnus vulgaris), wryneck (Jynx torquilla), tree sparrow (Passer montanus), and great tit (Parus major) continue to grow after leaving the nest. The body mass of birds on the day of their hatching and before their departure from the nests and the mass of adult birds depend on the nesting type, duration of the nestling period, size groups of species, and their definitive size. The average specific growth rate of body mass and its maximum values for different species are also associated with these factors. The maximum specific growth rate in small-sized and medium-sized bird species was observed on the 0–1st days of life; in large bird species, on the 2nd–4th days. The specific growth rate did not depend on the type of nesting, but it was inversely related to the duration of the nestling period and the definitive sizes of birds.