Variation in wing length in relation to sex and age of marsh tits Parus palustris

• Males of both juveniles and adults had significantly longer wings than females, the difference between the sexes being c5.5%. Using wing length as the only criterion, between 97.4% and 88.6% of juveniles and between 98.0% and 93.4% of adults can be unambiguously sexed during autumn/winter. Individuals measured during their second or later autumn/winter had significantly longer wings than those measured as juveniles. Each individual increased its wing length during the first complete moult. Hypotheses explaining an increase in wing length with age are discussed. The best explanation encompasses some sort of nutritional constraint during the nestling and/or early fledgling phase. -from Author

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Zoologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Zoology (hsv//eng)

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