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Castration does not decrease nonreproductive aggression in yearling male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Rianne Pinxten1, Elke De Ridder, Maarten De Cock

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, U.I.A., B-2160 Wilrijk, Belgium. pinxten@uia.ua.ac.be

Hormones and Behavior
|April 16, 2003
PubMed
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Castration increased aggression in male European starlings during the nonbreeding season. This suggests that nonreproductive aggression in these birds is independent of testosterone levels.

Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Endocrinology
  • Avian Biology

Background:

  • Nonbreeding season aggression in birds can occur despite low testosterone levels.
  • This suggests that nonreproductive aggression may be independent of gonadal sex steroids.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of castration on nonreproductive aggressive behavior in yearling male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

Main Methods:

  • Castrated (Cx) and control (C) male starlings were paired in dyadic trials across three periods.
  • Aggression was quantified by observing competition for nest box access using infrared cameras.

Main Results:

  • Castrated males exhibited higher aggression levels than control males across all periods.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Aggression in castrated males was significantly higher than controls when all periods were analyzed together.
  • Aggression was independent of testosterone levels, and castration even appeared to increase it.

    • Conclusions:

    • Nonreproductive aggression in yearling male starlings is independent of gonadal sex steroids.
    • Castration may enhance nonreproductive aggression in this species.