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Pheomelanin-based colouration is correlated with indices of flying strategies in the Barn Owl

Charter, Motti ; Leshem, Yossi ; Izhaki, Ido ; Roulin, Alexandre

In: Journal of Ornithology, 2015, vol. 156, no. 1, p. 309-312

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    Titre
    • Pheomelanin-based colouration is correlated with indices of flying strategies in the Barn Owl
    Auteur
    • Charter, Motti. Department of Evolution and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, 31905, Haifa, Israel
    • Leshem, Yossi. Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
    • Izhaki, Ido. Department of Evolution and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, 31905, Haifa, Israel
    • Roulin, Alexandre. Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Biophore Building, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
    Type de document
    • Postprint
    Langue
    • Anglais
    Publié dans
    • Journal of Ornithology, 2015, vol. 156, no. 1, p. 309-312. Springer Berlin Heidelberg
    Autre version électronique
    Identifiant OAI-PMH
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:332406
    Summary
    Resource polymorphism refers to individuals from the same population foraging in alternative habitats or on alternative food. Food specialization can be associated with adaptations such as colour polymorphism, with pale and dark colours conferring differential camouflage in different habitats. Pale and dark-reddish pheomelanic Barn Owls (Tyto alba) forage on different prey species in closed and open habitats, respectively. We show here that darker-reddish owls have heavier stomach content when found dead, and their 5th secondary wing feather is more deeply anchored inside the integument. These correlations suggest that their feathers bend less when flying, and that darker-reddish Barn Owls are able sustain more intense flying than their paler conspecifics.