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Social context modulates digestive efficiency in greylag geese (Anser anser)
Didone Frigerio1,2, Kurt Kotrschal3,4, Carla Fabro5
1Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, A-4645, Gruenau im Almtal, Austria. didone.frigerio@univie.ac.at.
Scientific Reports
|November 9, 2018
Summary
Social status impacts digestive efficiency in greylag geese. Birds with offspring showed higher apparent digestibility of organic matter (ADOM), correlating with future breeding success.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Physiology
- Ecology
Background:
- Social context influences physiology, behavior, and reproduction in group-living animals.
- Understanding social modulation of digestive efficiency is crucial for animal welfare and population dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how social status affects digestive efficiency in greylag geese (Anser anser) during winter.
- To determine the relationship between digestive efficiency and subsequent breeding success.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 184 droppings from 38 individually marked greylag geese over 9 days with standardized food.
- Measured apparent digestibility of organic matter (ADOM) using lignin as an internal marker.
Main Results:
- Digestive efficiency was significantly higher in pairs with offspring compared to pairs without offspring or unpaired birds.
- Individuals with higher ADOM were more likely to achieve successful breeding in the following season.
Conclusions:
- Social status, particularly family structure, modulates digestive efficiency in greylag geese.
- Improved digestive efficiency, linked to stable social relationships and support, may contribute to enhanced reproductive success.
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