Post-fledging recruitment in relation to nestling plasma testosterone and immunocompetence in the spotless starling

Abstract

1. Social and ecological conditions experienced by individuals during early life can strongly influence their development and survival. Nestlings of many species present important variations in plasma androgens that can be associated with begging and sibling competition and may translate into fitness effects, since broods with higher testosterone (T) production may have better body condition and higher fledging success. However, the positive effects of androgens may be counterbalanced by a reduction of immune defences and a greater susceptibility to diseases. 2. In this study we examined the potential relationships between natural variation in plasma T, immunity and post-fledging survival rate in nestlings of the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor). 3. We found that nestlings with higher cellular-mediated immune responses (CMI; measured as a swelling response to phytohaemagglutinin injection) were more likely to be recruited in the population than nestlings with lower CMI responses. Males presented higher CMI response than females, possibly due to differences in competitive advantage over food. We also found that CMI response was negatively related to T levels, as predicted by the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis. However, despite this reduction in CMI response, we failed to find an association between nestling T levels and survival prospects. Our results add to the evidence of the role played by immune defences in determining survival prospects in natural populations. 4. In conclusion, our study reveals that CMI response can be considered as a good predictor of post-fledging recruitment. As far as we know, this is the first study attempting to evaluate the relationship between nestling T and post-fledging survival. Our results suggest that the potential benefits accrued by high levels of T in sibling competition during the nestling stage do not translate into increased survival.