Sex-dependent risk-taking behaviour towards different predatory stimuli in the collared flycatcher

Abstract

Prey animals may react differently to predators, which can thus raise plasticity in risk-taking behaviour. We assessed the behavioural responses of nestling-feeding collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis) parents towards different avian predator species (Eurasian sparrowhawk, long-eared owl) and a non-threatening songbird (song thrush) by measuring the latency to resume feeding activity. We found that the sexes differed in their responses towards the different stimuli, as males resumed nestling-provisioning sooner after the songbird than after the predator stimuli, while latency of females was not affected by the type of stimulus. Parents breeding later in the season took less risk than early breeders, and mean response also varied across the study years. We detected a considerable repeatability at the within-brood level across stimuli, and a correlation between the latency of parents attending the same nest, implying that they may adjust similarly their risk-taking behaviour to the brood value. Repeated measurements at the same brood suggested that risk-taking behaviour of flycatcher parents is a plastic trait, and sex-specific effects might be the result of sex-specific adjustments of behaviour to the perceived environmental challenge as exerted by different predators. Furthermore, the nest-specific effects highlighted that environmental effects can render consistently similar responses between the parents.