AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Age and Breeding in Sparrowhawks

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1981
Authors:Newton, I, Marquiss, M, Moss, D
Journal:Journal of Animal Ecology
Volume:50
Issue:3
Date Published:1981
ISBN Number:00218790
Keywords:Accipiter, Accipiter nisus, Accipitridae
Abstract:(1) In a population of sparrowhawks studied for 10 years, yearlings formed 17% of breeding cocks and 16% of breeding hens. On average, yearlings were less numerous as breeders in upland forest plantations than they were in woods in upland sheepwalk or on low farmland, but no significant variation in these figures occurred between years. (2) The oldest cock and hen were both in their ninth year. However, the average age of breeding cocks (2.16 years) in the sample was lower than that of breeding hens (2.54 years), associated with which the average age of mate was higher for cocks than for hens. (3) Some birds bred in their first year, others not until their second or later year. Some individuals aged 2 or more years did not breed in a given year, even though they had bred previously. These findings applied to both cocks and hens. (4) Yearling sparrowhawks were mainly brown in colour, while adults were blue-grey. Mating was selective with respect to age (and plumage colour), with more yearling-yearling and more adult-adult pairs, and fewer adult-yearling pairs than expected by chance. Among adult (blue-grey) birds, no evidence was found for selective mating with respect to age. (5) On average, adult-adult pairs produced most young, and yearling-yearling pairs produced least, while mixed pairs were intermediate. Age of both cock and hen had some influence on the number of young produced. (6) Among known-age hens, laying dates, clutch sizes and nest success all improved up to about age 4 years, and then deteriorated again. (7) These trends in hens could not be explained by age-related variations in the organochlorine content of the eggs. Moreover, they held in both upland and lowland habitats, and after correction to allow for variations in performance associated with year, and (where appropriate) with laying date. (8) Despite a general improvement in performance between first and second year birds, second year hens which had bred as yearlings performed no better than did other second year hens which were not known to have bred as yearlings.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/4141
Short Title:Journal of Animal Ecology
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