Presentation Details
| Dietary Changes in Lance-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata) Nestlings Josephine Whelan1, Emily DuVal1, Catalina Cuellar-Gempeler2. 1Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.2California Polytechnic State University, Arcata, CA, USA |
Abstract
Parental provisioning behavior can fulfill changing physiological needs in altricial offspring, where parents must deliver quality prey while responding to shifts in age and resource abundance. Across many passerines, dietary needs shift during growth, influencing physical, sensory, microbial, and behavioral systems. In temperate passerines, parents often feed young nestlings taurine-rich spiders, which can support brain development, immunity, and growth. However, early dietary needs and composition are poorly understood in tropical frugivores. Using Lance-tailed Manakins, a frugivorous tropical passerine, we examined dietary shifts and their influence on growth and condition. To quantify diet composition and diversity, we analyzed fecal samples and body condition measures from different aged nestlings. Arthropod consumption declined with age, while fruit intake and seed diversity increased. Arthropod consumption was not linked to growth rates or condition, though nestling weight changed between years. Parental provisioning shifts with age, though arthropod consumption did not affect somatic growth. Future work will examine how diet shapes microbial communities during development.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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