“Color of Robins’
Eggs Determines Parental Care”
In the article “Color of Robins’
Eggs Determines Parental Care” by Queen's University biology professor Bob
Montgomerie, he discusses his findings and the relationship on how a robin’s
egg color could determine how much parental care it may receive. Professor
Montgomerie has been learning about robins for twenty-five years and he was
very captivated on how the bright blue color of robins’ eggs could make a
difference in parenting. Dr. Montgomerie worked with student Philina English at
the Queen’s University Biological Station and additional biological sites
around Kingston, by substituting real eggs in robins’ nests with synthetic eggs
with different shades of blue. Just before the real eggs were expected to
hatch, the team of researchers replaced the artificial blue eggs with baby
robins. Dr. Montgomerie clarifies, "We were testing the idea males can use
egg color as a signal of the quality and health of their mate, and that healthy
mates create better babies." His research paid attention to sexual
selection and parental care in birds. As he came to discover, males whose nests
contained the most vivid and bright blue eggs fed their newly-hatched babies twice
as much. The blue color found in robin eggs is due to biliverdin, a pigment planted
on the eggshell when the female robin lays the eggs. There is some evidence
that has been created showing that higher biliverdin levels point toward
healthier females and brighter blue eggs. Eggs that were laid by healthier
females seemed to encourage males to take more initiative in feeding their
young.
Natures of Science:
·
Science is Collaborative: Professor Bob
Montgomerie worked alongside student Philina English at the Queen’s University
Biological Station to discover the pigment in robins’ eggs that influences how
much parental control will be provided for the young.
·
Science is based on Evidence: Scientist
Montgomerie worked at the Queen’s University Biological Station and found hard
evidence showing that when it seems that the eggs have a brighter shade of
blue, than the male tends to pay more attention to the young.
·
Role of Motivation and Curiosity: Dr.
Montgomerie had been studying Robins for twenty-five years and always had a
particular curiosity and interest in the colors of the robin eggs.
Readers: Do you think the pigment biliverdin found in
robins’ eggs affect how much the female mother wants to take care of the
babies?
I chose to
read this article because I love bird watching and it sounded really
fascinating! I have seen robins’ eggs before and I have always wondered if the
change in the shade of blue of the egg makes a difference in the lifestyle of
the robin. I really enjoyed reading this article because I learned a lot about
robins and their eggs. I also loved reading about the pigment biliverdin
because I had never heard of it and it is kind of crazy that it affects the
parenthood of robins!
Link: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2012/05/14/color_of_robins_eggs_determines_parental_care.html
Wow, that is very fascinating indeed. You would think that they would give the same parental care to all their eggs or maybe more parental care to eggs coming from less healthier mothers.
ReplyDeleteI found a related article about how male birds with good genetic qualities are bad fathers. The article found that males with good genetic qualities are less successful in fertilizing eggs than males lacking genetic qualities. I just wanted to mention this because it seems to be the opposite of your article. Healthier female birds make better parents and male birds with bad genetic qualities make good parents. It's weird how living things work, isn't it?
Related article link:
http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2009/06/25/good_males_are_bad_fathers.html
This was interesting to read! I have heard that female birds choose a mate based on their bright colored feathers but I didn't know that the color of the eggs determined how well they would be cared for. You'd think that the paler eggs would need more care so they would treat them better.
ReplyDeleteThis article was very fascinating. I never knew that birds chose a mate based on the egg color and quality of the egg. It is also interesting that male birds with bright colored eggs will feed them twice as much. I never knew that birds treated their young differently based on egg color. Responding to your question, I think that the pigment biliverdin found in robins’ eggs do affect how the mother takes care of her young because if they weren't healthy and had a light colored shell, she might not want to take care of them and try and lay healthier eggs.
ReplyDeleteOn the most basic biological level, this finding makes a lot of sense. If brighter eggs are laid by healthier females, then those eggs will most likely be of high quality since their mothers were healthy. The young birds that the egg holds will be more likely to survive adolescence, grow to adulthood, and reproduce. Male robins will be more inclined to spend their energy caring for these eggs. It will be worth sacrificing their time and energy if they are able to ensure that their genes will be passed on.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the question Katie posed, I would assume that the same trend occurs in the females as in the males, but it is not as apparent. According to a bit of research, female robins are the primary caretakers of the eggs in the earlier periods while the males will assist but with less frequency. However, males will take over caring for the chicks once females lay more eggs and must tend to the new, younger brood. If males are the ones that care for the chicks in their later adolescence, it is thought-provoking that they would be able to remember the color of the eggs and then respond to this by determining how much time they want to invest in feeding their young.