Nest predation, food, and female age explain seasonal declines in clutch size

• Published in: Evolutionary ecology Vol. 26; no. 3; pp. 683 - 699
• Main Authors: Decker, Karie L., Conway, Courtney J., Fontaine, Joseph J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.05.2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Age; Animal Ecology; Animal reproduction; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Birds; Clutch size; Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; Females; Food availability; foods; Habitats; Life history; Life Sciences; nests; Original Paper; Plant Sciences; Predation; Predation (Biology); Seasons; Female age; Food abundance; Nest predation; Clutch size; Seasonality
• ISSN: 0269-7653; 1573-8477
• DOI: 10.1007/s10682-011-9521-7

The selection pressures responsible for intra- and interspecific variation in avian clutch size have been debated for over half a century. Seasonal declines in clutch size represent one of the most robust patterns in avian systems, yet despite extensive research on the subject, the mechanisms underl...