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Aggressive behaviour and nest-site defence during the breeding season in an island kestrel population

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Abstract

We examined the changes in the intensity of intra-specific aggression (ISA) in a kestrel (Falco tinnunculus canariensis) population throughout the breeding season, in order to evaluate the main hypotheses regarding ISA (defence of parentage, food, nest-site and offspring). Each pair was presented with a live caged adult male or female as a conspecific intruder. The intensity of ISA did not vary significantly during the breeding season, and nor did it correlate with offspring value, or food availability. Our island-dwelling kestrel population showed low fluctuation in ISA during the breeding season, and similar levels of aggression in both members of the pair towards male or female intruders. These findings support the nest-site defence hypothesis. Pairs with more exposed nest-sites showed increased ISA, unexplained by offspring value. We suggest that this behaviour is related with nest-site conspicuousness and vulnerability. The pairs displaying greater ISA also showed greater aggression towards humans, the main local predator. This may indicate that defensive behaviour evolved in the past when it was advantageous against predators, and became a trait. Compared with the non-island reference population, we only found differences in ISA during the pre-laying phase: lower intensity of aggressive behaviour between males, and higher between females.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to José Miguel Aparicio for encouragement throughout the project. We thank Fini, Jorge and Cristina—the family of one of us (J.C.)—Nicolás Trujillo, José Pedro Martín, and Carlos Izquierdo for their help in the field. The people of the area let us have access to their lands. Plácido Marrero showed us the location of some nest-sites. The Canary Government gave us permission to study and ring a protected species and lent us two permanently disabled kestrels, male and female, from the Fauna Rehabilitation Centre in Tenerife. Michael Lee McLean helped with the English version of the manuscript. José Miguel Aparicio, Juan Antonio Fargallo, Michael Lee McLean, and Pablo Vergara offered valuable comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. The fieldwork was performed during J.C.’s affiliation with the Department of Animal Biology (Zoology) of La Laguna University. E.G.D.’s research was partially supported by a Spanish Ministry of Science Project (MTM 2010-16828). The suggestions from the editor and two anonymous reviewers improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Parasitology, Ecology and Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of La Laguna, Avenue Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

    José Carrillo

  2. Department of Statistics, O. R. and Computation, Faculty of Mathematics, University of La Laguna, Avenue Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

    Enrique González-Dávila

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  1. José Carrillo
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  2. Enrique González-Dávila
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Correspondence to José Carrillo.

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Carrillo, J., González-Dávila, E. Aggressive behaviour and nest-site defence during the breeding season in an island kestrel population. J Ethol 31, 211–218 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-013-0369-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-013-0369-x

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