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Science 24 December 2004:
Vol. 306. no. 5705, pp. 2249 - 2250
DOI: 10.1126/science.1103542
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Reports

Reproductive Effort, Molting Latitude, and Feather Color in a Migratory Songbird

D. Ryan Norris,1,4* Peter P. Marra,3 Robert Montgomerie,1 T. Kurt Kyser,2 Laurene M. Ratcliffe1

Toward the end of the breeding season, migratory songbirds face crucial tradeoffs between the timing of reproduction, molt, and migration. Using stable hydrogen isotopes, we show that male American redstarts investing in high levels of reproduction late in the season adopt a unique strategy of combining molt and migration. Tail feathers molted during migration also reflect less orange-red light, indicating reduced carotenoid concentration. Thus, we show how reproduction in a migratory animal can influence both life history strategies (location of molt) and social signals (feather color) during subsequent periods of the annual cycle.

1 Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
2 Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
3 Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Post Office Box 28, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA.
4 Centre for Applied Conservation Research, Forest Sciences Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ryann{at}biology.queensu.ca

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