Role of sibling aggression in food distribution to nestling cattle egrets (bubulcus ibis)

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) Science Article 9

abstract

Sibling aggression occurs in a wide variety of asynchronously hatching bird species. In some, fights among siblings lead inevitably to death, in which case the benefits of winning are clear. In species where sibling aggression is common but usually not fatal,the benefits gained by winning and the methods used to achieve them are less obvious. Ina Texas colony of Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis), sibling aggression was frequent but siblicide rare. Parents rarely interfered with fights. Last-hatched chicks lost more fightsa nd received less food than their elder siblings.

BONNIE J. PLOGER, DOUGLAS W. MOCK, The Auk 103: 768-776

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