Abstract
Physiological tools can be used to identify the sources and consequences of stressors on animals. Understanding the influences of variation in habitat quality and anthropogenic disturbance on organism condition and health may improve future management and conservation. We present results concerning variation in haemoglobin and glucose concentrations in the blood of about 14-day-old nestling Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in central Poland over a 4-year period, 2011–2014, in a deciduous forest. The most important findings of the study are: (1) the concentration of haemoglobin and glucose of the nestlings from the same brood tended to be consistently similar, with much variation occurring among broods; (2) repeatability of haemoglobin concentration was higher than repeatability of glucose concentration; (3) mean levels of haemoglobin and glucose varied among years; (4) haemoglobin and glucose concentrations were negatively correlated; and (5) there was a positive relationship between haemoglobin levels and breeding success.
Highlights
Physiological knowledge can improve predictions of organism responses to environmental change, and provide tools to support evidence-based managementJ Ornithol (2015) 156:811–817 decisions (Cook et al 2013); Prosser (1991) argued that there is a need for more physiological information on stress affecting individual species
We present results concerning variation in haemoglobin and glucose concentrations in the blood of about 14-day-old nestling Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in central Poland over a 4-year period, 2011–2014, in a deciduous forest
The most important findings of the study are: (1) the concentration of haemoglobin and glucose of the nestlings from the same brood tended to be consistently similar, with much variation occurring among broods; (2) repeatability of haemoglobin concentration was higher than repeatability of glucose concentration; (3) mean levels of haemoglobin and glucose varied among years; (4) haemoglobin and glucose concentrations were negatively correlated; and (5) there was a positive relationship between haemoglobin levels and breeding success
Summary
Physiological knowledge can improve predictions of organism responses to environmental change, and provide tools to support evidence-based managementJ Ornithol (2015) 156:811–817 decisions (Cook et al 2013); Prosser (1991) argued that there is a need for more physiological information on stress affecting individual species. Understanding the influences of variation in habitat quality and anthropogenic disturbance on organism condition and health could improve conservation (Cooke and O’Connor 2010; Ellis et al 2012). Studies have shown that some blood parameters provide useful indicators of the body condition and state of health of animals, including birds (Atwal et al 1964; Bradley and Threlfall 1974), when collected and interpreted with appropriate caution (Fair et al 2007; Lill 2011; Lill et al 2013). Blood components are good indicators for evaluating short-term stress in the environment (Brown 1996; Sergent et al 2004). A high diagnostic value of the basic blood parameters results from the close connection of these parameters to factors such as age, physiological condition, circadian rhythms, nutritional status, and others (Yadava 1978; Gee et al 1981; GarcıaRodrıguez et al 1987; Cerolini et al 1990; Abelenda et al 1993; Kostelecka-Myrcha 1997; Sergent et al 2004)
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