The energetic implications of precocial development for three shorebird species breeding in a warm environment

Abstract

We investigated the effect of body size, parental behaviour and timing of breeding on the chick growth and energetics of three precocial shorebird (Charadrii) species in a warm sub‐tropical environment: the Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius, Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus, and Crowned Lapwing V. coronatus. The three species exhibited slower growth, longer pre‐fledging periods and lower energy expenditure during the pre‐fledging period than Arctic and temperate zone relatives of similar size. It was found that relative growth rates of charadriid and scolopacid species increased by 1.77% per degree latitude. Blacksmith and Crowned Lapwings are of similar size (i.e. about 160 g), about four times the mass of Kittlitz's Plovers. Taking body mass into account, the resting metabolic rate and daily energy expenditure of the three study species were similar. The relative amounts of energy needed for chicks to grow from a hatchling to a fledgling were low for the three species studied. The relative amount of energy needed to complete growth in charadriid and scolopacid species increased by 2.54% per degree latitude. Because Crowned Lapwings exhibited faster growth than Blacksmith Lapwings but similar daily energy expenditure we suggest that Blacksmith Lapwings compensate for greater energy expenditure in colder weather by growing more slowly. We suggest that small growth rate coefficient, low resting metabolic rate and low daily energy expenditure are adaptations to lower food availability and milder ambient temperatures in sub‐tropical breeding habitats compared to temperate or Arctic regions.