Abstract
Nest and offspring defence by birds can be treated as an optimization problem wherein fitness benefits are determined by the survival of the current brood and fitness costs depend upon the probability that the parent will survive to breed again. At the optimal intensity of defence, net fitness benefits are maximized. Most research has focused on seasonal patterns of nest defence to test the prediction that intensity of nest defence should increase through the nesting cycle either because renesting potential declines or because the probability of offspring survival increases rapidly relative to that of the parents. Intensity of nest defence is predicted to increase with parental experience and confidence of parenthood; offspring number, quality and vulnerability; and nest accessibility and conspicuousness. The response of parents is also expected to vary with the relative armament and mobility of parent and predator and the relative roles of the parents in caring for their offspring. -from Authors
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 167-187 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Quarterly Review of Biology |
Volume | 63 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1988 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Agricultural and Biological Sciences