The behavior of nest sanitation includes the removal of eggshells, fecal sacs, non-viable hatchlings, and undigested food (Ibáñez-Álamo, Ruiz-Raya, Roncalli, & Soler, 2014). This costly expense is not found in every species, and perhaps has adapted in part to its reproductive advantage (Tinbergen, 1963). Many studies have tested to see if removal of excrements decreases parasites and predators. These hypotheses have received mixed support between studies on the same species as well as between different species. However, most scientists and observers alike can agree that fecal sac removal is one of the most common nest sanitation behaviors (Guigueno & Sealy, 2012).
Ultimately, fecal sac removal is the ejection of fecal material surrounded …show more content…
Their bright colors, readiness to nest in boxes, and close proximity make them a prime choice for study. This exact bluebird population has been previously tested to have a low parasitic prevalence, ruling out the parasite hypothesis (Carleton, Mertins, & Yabsley, 2012). Both parents equally engage in protection and feeding, so both sexes have equal chance to remove fecal sacs on feeding trips. I have hypothesized that the female hormones that influence brooding and parental behaviors (prolactin), in which males do not have as high of levels at the onset of hatch, could influence females to remove fecal sacs and feed their young more. To test this, not only will I use females as one set of controls to compare to non-hormone implanted males but also to compare to males with increased levels of prolactin. These males will be given similar quantities to females of the hormone prolactin, and thus we expect to see similar amounts of fecal sacs removed amongst these males as we do among the females, signifying that prolactin could have an influence on fecal sac …show more content…
We have choosen to study pairs that are all within 2-3 years of breeding experience because in a previous study, the older and more experienced male birds (5+ years) had higher levels of prolactin initially whereas the females’ levels were uneffected by age (Riechert, Chastel, & Becker, 2012; Figure 2). To fully test prolactin’s effect and to be releastic on the survival age of the average bird, we chose a younger participant. The 10 control groups and two sets of 10 experimental groups will each be given their own aviary with appropriate sized nest boxes for each pair. The housing size of each box is 5〖 1⁄2 〗^ ' ' x 4^ ' ' x 8 3⁄4 ' ' and includes a two pivot nail side door to allow for cleaning (Figure 1). The housing area provided is appropriate beacause in the wild, Bluebirds do not occupy very large or deep nests in the cavities within the trees (Hall, 2013). A predator guard at the front entrance with a 5〖 1⁄2 〗^ ' ' x 3^ ' ' dimension is included, however not necessary for this experiment since predators will not be an issue. We neglect to include predators in this module since we are not supporting the predator hypothesis due to significant research already done. The aviary space for this experiment is donated from Bear Hollow Zoo’s facility in Athens, Georgia with a small donation fee and sponsorship. Each environment, excluding the changed variables specific to each group, will be
Ultimately, fecal sac removal is the ejection of fecal material surrounded …show more content…
Their bright colors, readiness to nest in boxes, and close proximity make them a prime choice for study. This exact bluebird population has been previously tested to have a low parasitic prevalence, ruling out the parasite hypothesis (Carleton, Mertins, & Yabsley, 2012). Both parents equally engage in protection and feeding, so both sexes have equal chance to remove fecal sacs on feeding trips. I have hypothesized that the female hormones that influence brooding and parental behaviors (prolactin), in which males do not have as high of levels at the onset of hatch, could influence females to remove fecal sacs and feed their young more. To test this, not only will I use females as one set of controls to compare to non-hormone implanted males but also to compare to males with increased levels of prolactin. These males will be given similar quantities to females of the hormone prolactin, and thus we expect to see similar amounts of fecal sacs removed amongst these males as we do among the females, signifying that prolactin could have an influence on fecal sac …show more content…
We have choosen to study pairs that are all within 2-3 years of breeding experience because in a previous study, the older and more experienced male birds (5+ years) had higher levels of prolactin initially whereas the females’ levels were uneffected by age (Riechert, Chastel, & Becker, 2012; Figure 2). To fully test prolactin’s effect and to be releastic on the survival age of the average bird, we chose a younger participant. The 10 control groups and two sets of 10 experimental groups will each be given their own aviary with appropriate sized nest boxes for each pair. The housing size of each box is 5〖 1⁄2 〗^ ' ' x 4^ ' ' x 8 3⁄4 ' ' and includes a two pivot nail side door to allow for cleaning (Figure 1). The housing area provided is appropriate beacause in the wild, Bluebirds do not occupy very large or deep nests in the cavities within the trees (Hall, 2013). A predator guard at the front entrance with a 5〖 1⁄2 〗^ ' ' x 3^ ' ' dimension is included, however not necessary for this experiment since predators will not be an issue. We neglect to include predators in this module since we are not supporting the predator hypothesis due to significant research already done. The aviary space for this experiment is donated from Bear Hollow Zoo’s facility in Athens, Georgia with a small donation fee and sponsorship. Each environment, excluding the changed variables specific to each group, will be