The effect of a period of food restriction on gonad size and moult of male and female Starlings Sturnus vulgaris under constant photoperiod

Abstract

The effects of food availability on the reproductive cycle and on the timing and duration of moult were investigated in first‐year male and female Starlings Sturnus vulgaris under a constant photoperiod of 12 hours. A 20% lower body mass during the first 9 weeks of restricted feeding had a slight negative effect on testicular growth during the first 3 weeks of the experiment and delayed the onset of moult for 12 days after the return to ad libitum feeding conditions. No effects were found on changes of beak colour and moult duration of males. Females exposed to the shorter feeding time similarly showed a reduced body mass (21%) but compared with controls, did not differ in beak colour, in follicle growth, or in the onset and duration of moult. In contrast to males, body mass of the experimental females after the food restriction period remained lower for more than 6 weeks, compared to control birds. Females had a longer reproductive cycle and started moult later than males. The later an individual started to moult, the faster it moulted. Two females started to moult extremely late and did not moult their first primaries.These results indicate that in male Starlings food restriction slightly affected the rate of photoinduced gonadal growth and the onset of postnuptial moult. These effects were not observed in females subjected to the same experimental conditions.