birding-aus

Re: Unpredictable moults

To:
Subject: Re: Unpredictable moults
From:
Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 13:12:23 -0400 (EDT)
Fascinating discussion!

The original point Stephen made was that molting was tightly linked to 
breeding. He has just proposed four quite different mechanisms to explain 
how molt could be DECOUPLED from breeding! Was the original point more to do 
with the suppression of molt DURING breeding, rather than the onset of molt 
being coupled to the END of breeding?

It's very valuable to get some input from Stephen, seeing things from a 
different perspective to those of us who see more the end result. I'd be 
interested to hear what Stephen has to say about the following:

a) An adult Common Tern starts molting P1 in July while still on the 
breeding grounds. The P molt progresses slowly from P1 to P10, apparently 
with a break during migration, but not finishing until February. About 
February, P1 molts again, and several of the inner Ps are molted as the bird 
aquires its alternate plumage. Clearly, the external stimuli under which the 
different primaries are molted must vary greatly. If P1 is shed at a time of 
increasing thyroidal and decreasing gonadal activity, surely that won't also 
apply to P10, or to the 2nd molt of P1.

b) In a Western Gull, the first P molt starts in April, when the adults are 
getting into their breeding activities and when the daylight is increasing 
fast. Successive P molts start later, until the adult pattern is achieved at 
age 4, when the P molt starts in July, at a time of decreasing daylight. On 
the face of it, it would seem the P molt of a Western Gull is NOT tied to 
either breeding or daylength! It's easy to imagine that P molt of a Western 
Gull may be stimulated by an abundance of food, while being suppressed 
during actual breeding.

c) I understand there are birds which show active molt WHILE they are 
actively breeding. If this is so, wouldn't it make more sense to presume 
that suppression of molt during breeding, while very common, is probably 
only a consequence of selection favoring birds which put more energy into 
bringing up their kids. So there may be cases where food is just so abundant 
for a short period of time that selection will favor those who can take most 
advantage of it by getting their molting done while the abundance lasts.

Overall, Stephen, do you see the physiological mechanisms having any 
predictive value for molt timing?

Cheers, Chris


Chris Corben
PO Box 2323
Rohnert Park, CA, 94927-2323
USA
707-584-8711


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