Urban nestlings have reduced number of feathers in Great Tits (Parus major)

Abstract

The plumage of birds plays an essential role in thermal insulation and influences the heat tolerance of birds. These plumage functions are mainly determined by the number and the density of feathers, but it is unclear how feather density responds to environmental changes in wild populations. In urban birds, both high temperature and limited food could generate changes in plumage traits. To investigate the effect of urbanization, we compared the number of feathers in nestlings between urban and forest Great Tits Parus major using a novel non‐invasive method. We showed that urban nestlings have fewer feathers than forest nestlings at 6–9 days old. Although the density of feathers was slightly higher in urban nestlings, this was the result of the smaller size of their feather tracts. We suggest that the reduced feather number may be the result of adaptation to higher urban temperatures, constrained feather development due to limited optimal nestling‐food sources in urban environments, or both. Concentrating body feathers in a reduced tract area may also help birds to adapt to higher urban temperatures because this can increase the relative size of bare body surfaces, which may facilitate heat dissipation. We suggest several possibilities for future studies that would help to disentangle the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed patterns.