Eggshell coloration in relation to male ornamentation, female condition and egg quality in the collared flycatcherFicedula albicollis

Abstract

The blue‐green eggshell pigment biliverdin is an efficient antioxidant, the deposition of which may be costly and act as a handicap to the female's antioxidant capacity. Thus, it is hypothesized that there exists a positive correlation between the degree of eggshell coloration and the condition and health state of the mother. In this study, we measured the blue‐green chroma of collared flycatcherFicedula albicolliseggs, and investigated the associations between egg colour and parental characteristics, laying date, clutch size and laying order. We also analysed the possible correlations between egg size, yolk carotenoid and antibody levels and eggshell pigmentation. Our results revealed no significant relationships between egg colour and female age, morphological and serological variables. Blue‐green colour intensity of eggs increased throughout the breeding season, which could be the result of either a proximate constraint or an adaptive strategy. We found a positive association between egg colour saturation and yolk lutein concentration. This relationship could be the result of the seasonal improvement of caterpillar supply, which could influence the deposition of both components into the egg. Furthermore, we found that females mated to lower‐quality males produced eggs with higher biliverdin pigmentation. It is possible that deposition of biliverdin is correlated to some unmeasured aspect of egg quality that could enhance the viability of offspring of lower‐quality fathers. We found that intensity of blue‐green coloration increased with laying order between the first and fifth eggs.