12 - Alloparental Feeding in Violet-green Swallows (Tachycineta thalassina)
Description/Abstract/Artist Statement
Parental allofeeding is an avian behavior in which the parents feed their young or newborns. This behavior is mostly performed in species that are born heavily dependent on their parents for care. Allofeeding in violet-green swallows (Tachycineta thalassina) is an understudied field. Most notably, not much is known about the factors that affect allofeeding. Since the allofeeding stage of a bird’s life is when both the allofeeder and the nestling are extremely vulnerable, we wanted to identify environmental and behavioral patterns associated with allofeeding. In this study, three nesting sites with 18 violet-green swallows (6 allofeeders and 12 nestlings) were recorded for 24 hours in one-hour intervals over 7 days. Tidal and temporal variations were recorded onsite and corroborated using national databases from NOAA. The footage was analyzed to measure the time of allofeeding at each nest site with both the environmental and behavioral data yielding significant results. Most notably, allofeeding rates between nest sites, across time of day, and at both high and low tidal heights were significant. These findings mean that location, predation, and food abundance could be major factors contributing to the allofeeding rate in violet-green swallows. Violet-green swallow populations in the Pacific Northwest are declining, and further understanding of the factors that affect the rates of alloparental feeding in violet-green swallows could prove useful in conservation efforts.
Keywords: Violet-green swallow, allofeeding, tidal height, location
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Chris Mantenga
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
University of Washington
Presentation Type
Poster
Disciplines
Animal Studies | Environmental Studies
12 - Alloparental Feeding in Violet-green Swallows (Tachycineta thalassina)
Parental allofeeding is an avian behavior in which the parents feed their young or newborns. This behavior is mostly performed in species that are born heavily dependent on their parents for care. Allofeeding in violet-green swallows (Tachycineta thalassina) is an understudied field. Most notably, not much is known about the factors that affect allofeeding. Since the allofeeding stage of a bird’s life is when both the allofeeder and the nestling are extremely vulnerable, we wanted to identify environmental and behavioral patterns associated with allofeeding. In this study, three nesting sites with 18 violet-green swallows (6 allofeeders and 12 nestlings) were recorded for 24 hours in one-hour intervals over 7 days. Tidal and temporal variations were recorded onsite and corroborated using national databases from NOAA. The footage was analyzed to measure the time of allofeeding at each nest site with both the environmental and behavioral data yielding significant results. Most notably, allofeeding rates between nest sites, across time of day, and at both high and low tidal heights were significant. These findings mean that location, predation, and food abundance could be major factors contributing to the allofeeding rate in violet-green swallows. Violet-green swallow populations in the Pacific Northwest are declining, and further understanding of the factors that affect the rates of alloparental feeding in violet-green swallows could prove useful in conservation efforts.
Keywords: Violet-green swallow, allofeeding, tidal height, location