THE SURVIVAL VALUE OF FLOCKING IN NEOTROPICAL BIRDS: REALITY OR FICTION?
2000; Wiley; Volume: 81; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[3416
ISSN1939-9170
AutoresMathilde Jullien, Jean Clobert,
Tópico(s)Animal Behavior and Reproduction
ResumoEcologyVolume 81, Issue 12 p. 3416-3430 Article THE SURVIVAL VALUE OF FLOCKING IN NEOTROPICAL BIRDS: REALITY OR FICTION? Mathilde Jullien, Mathilde Jullien Ecole Normale Supérieure Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS-URA 258, 46 Rue d'Ulm, F-75230 Paris Cedex 05 France Present address: Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Avian Studies Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812 USA.Search for more papers by this authorJean Clobert, Jean Clobert Institut d'Ecologie, C.N.R.S.-URA 258, Bâtiment A, 7ème Etage, Case 237, 7 Quai St Bernard, F-75252 Paris Cedex 05 FranceSearch for more papers by this author Mathilde Jullien, Mathilde Jullien Ecole Normale Supérieure Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS-URA 258, 46 Rue d'Ulm, F-75230 Paris Cedex 05 France Present address: Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Avian Studies Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812 USA.Search for more papers by this authorJean Clobert, Jean Clobert Institut d'Ecologie, C.N.R.S.-URA 258, Bâtiment A, 7ème Etage, Case 237, 7 Quai St Bernard, F-75252 Paris Cedex 05 FranceSearch for more papers by this author First published: 01 December 2000 https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(2000)081[3416:TSVOFI]2.0.CO;2Citations: 86 Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Greater foraging efficiency and/or better predator avoidance have long been assumed and used as explanations for the evolution of flocking behavior in birds. Even if the debate between the validity of these two hypotheses remains open, one prediction is that living in flocks can favor increased survival rates. We gathered published and unpublished data from various tropical forests where bird species forage (1) exclusively alone or in pairs (2) in heterospecific flocks some of the time (facultative flock members), or (3) exclusively in heterospecific year-long associations (obligate flock members). We controlled statistically for effects of body size, nest type, clutch size, and phylogeny, and tested whether survival rates differed among these three groups. The survival rates of the obligate flock members (mean survival rate 68.7%, range 48.0–87.0%) were significantly higher than estimates for the species feeding alone or in pairs (mean survival rate 58.3%, range 33.0–79.0%). However, survival rates of the facultative flock members (mean survival rate 60.4%, range 40.0–79.0%) did not differ from those of the nonflocking species. Nevertheless, causes of such differences in survival can be explained by an alternative hypothesis. Life history theory predicts that higher survival for the obligate flocking species may be a response to low fecundity and productivity. Yet, the pattern "high survivorship, strikingly low fecundity" documented in obligate flocking species has never been observed among their solitary or facultative flocking counterparts. This result suggests that permanent obligate flocking can be an alternative ecological factor that may drive the evolution of life histories in tropical birds. Citing Literature Volume81, Issue12December 2000Pages 3416-3430 RelatedInformation
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