Chicks of cavity-nesting birds do not ‘exercise’ prior to fledging
Kate Earle, Josh Allen, Brett Lee Hodinka, Tony Williams

TL;DR
European starling chicks show some active behaviors before fledging, but these do not improve their physical or physiological development.
Contribution
This study challenges the assumption that pre-fledging exercise improves development in cavity-nesting birds.
Findings
Increased wing flapping and active behaviors in starling chicks did not correlate with improved somatic or physiological development.
Haematocrit levels showed a weak negative relationship with time spent wing flapping or standing.
Pre-fledging exercise does not appear to enhance aerobic capacity in starling chicks.
Abstract
Fledging represents a key life-history transition involving a rapid increase in workload associated with a rapid transition from sedentary nestling to volant, active fledgling. Here, we tested the idea that chicks might prepare for fledging through increased voluntary activity (‘exercise’) and whether this would impact somatic and physiological development. European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) chicks, in cavity nests, increased levels of putative exercise (wing flapping), and more general active behaviours (e.g. perching, standing) in the five days up to fledging. However, facultative mass loss and wing growth between days 15 and 20 were independent of time spent wing flapping, standing or perching and, counterintuitively, we found a weak negative relationship between haematocrit (a measure of aerobic capacity) and time spent wing flapping or standing. Thus, although exercise is…
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Taxonomy
TopicsBird parasitology and diseases · Avian ecology and behavior · Animal Behavior and Reproduction
