Plasma biochemistry values are useful tools for ecophysiological research of birds and other vertebrates. They provide data on the physiological and nutritional state of individuals in various life stages. We predicted that blood triglyceride levels correlate with nutritional state of birds and that this trait is temporally variable. Therefore, we studied the effects of year and distinct habitat type (urban parkland vs woodland) on triglyceride concentration in the blood of nestling Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus. We ascertained both seasonal and inter-habitat variation within the trait. Specifically, (1) nestlings from trophic rich forest site were characterised with significantly higher mean triglyceride levels, and (2) mean triglyceride content was significantly higher in one out of three breeding seasons. These results suggest that the studied trait may be used as a robust indicator of habitat trophic abundance and quality.
Alonso-AlvarezC. and FerrerM. (2001) A biochemical study of fasting, subfeeding, and recovery processes in Yellow-Legged Gulls. Physiol. Biochem. Zool., 74, 703–713.
2.
Alonso-AlvarezC., VelandoA., FerrerM. and VeiraA.V.R. (2002) Changes in plasma biochemistry and body mass during incubation in the Yellow-legged Gull. Waterbirds, 25, 253–258.
3.
BalaschJ., MusqueraS., PalaciosL.JimenezM. and PalomequeJ. (1976) Comparative hematology of some falconiforms. Condor, 78, 258–273.
4.
BańburaJ., BańburaM., KalińskiA., SkwarskaJ., SłomczyńskiR., WawrzyniakJ. and ZielińskiP. (2007) Habitat and year-to-year variation in haemoglobin concentration in nestling Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A, 148, 572–577.
5.
BourgaultP., ThomasD.W., BlondelJ., PerretP. and LambrechtsM.M. (2007) Between-population differences in egg composition in Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). Can. J. Zool., 85, 71–80.
6.
CerasaleD.J. and GuglielmoC.G. (2006) Dietary effects on prediction of body mass changes in birds by plasma metabolites. Auk, 123, 836–846.
7.
CrawleyM.J. (2002) Statistical computing: an introduction to data analysis using S-Plus.Wiley, Chichester.
8.
DabbertC.B., MartinT.E. and PowellK.C. (1997) Use of body measurements and serum metabolites to estimate the nutritional status of mallards wintering in the Missisipi alluvial valley, USA. J. Wildlife Dis., 33, 57–63.
9.
FerrerM. (1993) Ontogeny of dispersal in relation to nutritional condition in Spanish Imperial Eagles. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol., 32, 259–263.
10.
GiudiciA., NavarroJ., JusteC. and Gonzalez-SolisJ. (2010) Physiological ecology of breeders and sabbaticals in a pelagic seabird. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., 389, 13–17.
11.
GlądalskiM., BańburaM., KalińskiA., MarkowskiM., SkwarskaJ., WawrzyniakJ., ZielińskiP. and BańburaJ. (2016a) Spatial variation in haemoglobin concentration of nestling Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus): a long-term perspective. J. Ornithol., 57, 591–598.
12.
GlądalskiM., BańburaM., KalińskiA., MarkowskiM., SkwarskaJ., WawrzyniakJ., ZielińskiP., CyżewskaI. and BańburaJ. (2015) Inter-annual and inter-habitat variation in breeding performance of Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in central Poland. Ornis Fennica, 92, 34–42.
13.
GlądalskiM., BańburaM., KalińskiA., MarkowskiM., SkwarskaJ., WawrzyniakJ., ZielińskiP., CyżewskaI., MańkowskaD. and BańburaJ. (2016b) Effects of human-related disturbance on breeding success of urban and non-urban blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). Urban Ecosyst, 19, 1325–1334
14.
HeckR.H., ThomasS.L. and TabataL.N. (2010) Multilevel and longitudinal modeling with IBM SPSS.Routledge, New York.
15.
HõrakP., SaksL.OtsI. and KollistH (2002). Repeatability of condition indices in captive greenfinches(Carduelis chloris). Can. J. Zool., 80, 636–643.
16.
HõrakP., TegelmannL., OtsI. and MøllerA.P. (1999) Immune function and survival of great tit nestlings in relation to growth conditions. Oecologia, 121, 316–322.
17.
IBM SPSS Statistics 22 (2013) SPSS for Windows, version 22.0. IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY.
18.
IsakssonC., HansonM.A. and BurdgeG.C. (2015) The effects of spatial and temporal ecological variation on fatty acid composition of wild great tits Parus major. J. Avi. Biol., 46, 245–253.
19.
Jenni-EiermannS. and JenniL. (1994) Plasma metabolite levels predict individual body-mass changes in a small long-distance migrant, the garden warbler. Auk, 111, 886–897.
20.
Jenni-EiermannS. and JenniL. (1998) What can plasma metabolites tell us about the metabolism, physiological state and condition of individual birds? An overview. Biol. Cons. Fauna, 102, 312–319.
21.
JohnstoneC., LillA. and ReinaR. (2015) Use of erythrocyte indicators of health and condition in vertebrate ecophysiology: a review and appraisal. Biol. Rev., 92, 150–168.
22.
KalińskiA., BańburaM., GlądalskiM., MarkowskiM., SkwarskaJ., WawrzyniakJ., ZielińskiP.CyżewskaI. and BańburaJ. (2014) Landscape patterns of variation in blood glucose concentration of nestling blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). Landscape Ecol., 29, 1521–1530.
23.
KalińskiA., BańburaM., GlądalskiM., MarkowskiM., SkwarskaJ., WawrzyniakJ., ZielińskiP.CyżewskaI. and BańburaJ. (2015a) Long-term variation in hemoglobin concentration in nestling great tits Parus major. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A., 185, 9–15.
24.
KalińskiA., BańburaM., GlądalskiM., MarkowskiM., SkwarskaJ., WawrzyniakJ., ZielińskiP., CyżewskaI. and BańburaJ. (2015b) Long-term variation in glucose concentration in nestling Great Tits (Parus major). Avi. Biol. Res., 8, 129–137.
25.
KalińskiA., BańburaM., GlądalskiM., MarkowskiM., SkwarskaJ., WawrzyniakJ., ZielińskiP., CyżewskaI. and BańburaJ. (2016) Relationship between blood haemoglobin and glucose concentrations in adult Great Tits (Parus major) and Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). Avi. Biol. Res., 9, 152–158.
26.
KalińskiA., WawrzyniakJ., BańburaM., SkwarskaJ., ZielińskiP. and BańburaJ. (2009) Haemoglobin concentration and body condition of nestling Great Tits Parus major: a comparison of first and second broods in two contrasting seasons. Ibis, 151, 667–676.
27.
KilgasP., MändR., MägiM. and TilgarV. (2006) Hematological parameters in brood-rearing great tits in relation to habitat, multiple breeding and sex. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A, 144, 224–231.
28.
KilgasP., TilgarV., MägiM. and MändR. (2007) Physiological condition of incubating and brood rearing female Great Tits Parus Major in two contrasting habitats. Acta Ornithol., 42, 129–136.
29.
LambrechtsM.M., AdriaensenF., ArdiaD.R., ArtemyevA.V., AtiénzarF., BańburaJ., BarbaE., BouvierJ-Ch., CamprodonJ., CooperC.B., DawsonR.D., EensM., EevaT., FaivreB., GaramszegiL.Z., GoodenoughA.E., GoslerA.G., GrégoireA., GriffithC.G., GustafssonL., JohnsonL.L., KaniaW., KeišsO., LlambiasP.E., MainwaringM.C., MändR., MassaB., MazgajskiT.D., MøllerA.P., MorenoJ., Naef-DaenzerB., NilssonJ.-Å., NorteA.C., OrellM., OtterK.A., ParkC.R., PerrinsC.R., PinowskiJ., PorkertJ., PottiJ., RemesV., RichnerH., RytkönenS., ShiaoM.-T., SilverinB., SlagsvoldT., SmithH.G., SoraceA., StenningM.J., StewartI., ThompsonC.F., TryjanowskiP., TörökJ., van NoordwijkA.J., WinklerD.W. and ZianeN. (2010) The design of artificial nestboxes for the study of secondary hole-nesting birds: A review of methodological inconsistencies and potential biases. Acta Ornithol., 45, 1–26.
30.
MarciniakB., NadolskiJ., NowakowskaM., LogaB. and BańburaJ. (2007) Habitat and annual variation in arthropod abundance affects Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus reproduction. Acta. Ornithol., 42, 53–62
31.
MarkowskiM., BańburaM., GlądalskiM., KalińskiA., SkwarskaJ., WawrzyniakJ., ZielińskiP. and BańburaJ. (2015) Variation in haematocrit of nestling Blue Tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in central Poland. Avi. Biol. Res., 8, 179–184
32.
MartinT.E. (1987) Food as a limit on breeding birds: a life-history perspective. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst., 18, 453–487.
33.
MaselloJ.F. and QuillfeldtP. (2004) Are haematological parameters related to body condition, ornamentation and breeding success in wild burrowing parrots Cyanoliseus patagonus?J. Avi. Biol., 35, 445–454.
34.
McCueM. (2010) Starvation physiology: Reviewing the different strategies animals use to survive a common chalenge. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A, 156, 1–18.
35.
MiniasP. (2015) The use of haemoglobin concentrations to assess physiological condition in birds: a review. Conserv. Physiol., 3, 1–15.
36.
MiniasP. and KaczmarekK. (2013) Concentrations of plasma metabolites as predictors of nestling condition in the Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis). Ornis Fennica, 90, 142–150.
37.
MuellerJ.M. and DabbertC.B. (2002) Relationship among plasma triglicerides, bodymass, and reproduction of northern bobwhites. In: DeMasoS.J., KuvleskyW.P.Jr., HernandezF. and BergerM.E. (eds), Quail V: Proceedings of the Fifth National Quail Symposium, pp. 221–224. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX.
38.
MurielR., SchmidtD., CalabuigC.P., Patino-MartinezJ. and FerrerM. (2013) Factors affecting plasma biochemistry parameters and physical condition of Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) nestlings. J. Ornithol., 154, 619–632.
39.
Naef-DaenzerB. and KellerL.F. (1999) The foraging performance of great and blue tits (Parus major and P. caerulens) in relation to caterpillar development, and its consequences for nestling growth and fledging weight. J. Anim. Ecol., 68, 208–718.
40.
PerrinsC.M. (1970) The timing of birds’ breeding season. Ibis, 112, 242–255.
41.
PerrinsC.M. (1991) Tits and their caterpillar food supply. Ibis, 133, 49–54.
42.
QuillfeldtP., MaselloJ. and MöstlE. (2004) Blood chemistry in relation to nutrition and ectoparasite load in Wilson's storm-petrels Oceanites oceanicus. Polar Biol., 27, 168–176.
43.
RodriguezA., NegroJ.J. and FiguerolaJ. (2011) Sources of variation for nutritional condition indices of the plasma of migratory lesser kestrels in the breeding grounds. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A, 160, 453–460.
44.
TinbergenJ.M. and BoerlijstM.C. (1990) Nestling weight and survival in individual Great Tits (Parus major). J. Anim. Ecol., 59, 1113–1127.
45.
ToledoA., AnderssonM.N., Hong-LeiW., SalmonP., WatsonH., BurdgeG.C. and IsakssonC. (2016) Fatty acid profiles of great tit (Parus major) eggs differ between urban and rural habitats, but not between coniferous and deciduous forests. Sci. Nat., 103, 55.
46.
van BalenJ.H. (1973) A comparative study of the breeding ecology of the great tit Parus major in different habitats. Ardea, 61, 1–93.
47.
VillegasA., SanchezJ.M., CorbachoC., CorbachoP. and VargasJ.M. (2004) Blood values of Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) in captivity: comparative ranges and variability with age, sex and physical condition. J. Ornithol., 145, 98–104.
