Prenatal Corticosterone Impacts Nestling Condition and Immunity in Eastern Bluebirds

Exposure of avian mothers to stressful conditions permanently alters offspring behavior and physiology. Yet, the effects of maternal stress on the development of offspring immunity in birds remain unclear, particularly in wild species. We injected Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) eggs with either a corticosterone or control solution, then measured the impacts on nestling morphology and two measures of immunity, bactericidal capacity and swelling responses to phytohemagglutinin. Nestlings from corticosterone-treated eggs had lower condition indices at hatch but quickly caught up to their control counterparts by Day 5 posthatch and until fledging. Corticosterone-exposed nestlings also mounted smaller swelling responses to phytohemagglutinin, whereas there were no effects on bactericidal capacity. These results indicate that maternal stress can impact offspring immunocompetence, fitness prospects, and potentially their ability to fend off parasites and pathogens.