RT Journal Article
T1 Behavioural and fitness effects of experimental immune activation during incubation in a wild passerine
A1 Barreda, Isabel
A1 Río, Marina García‐del
A1 Merino, Santiago
A1 Fuertes Recuero, Manuel
A1 Cantarero Carmona, Alejandro
AB Incubation is vital for avian embryo development but demands significant parental investment, potentially at the cost of self-maintenance and immune function. For example, the acute phase response (APR), a systemic reaction against inflammation, infection or tissue injury, can trigger sickness behaviours such as reduced activity and foraging. At the same time, immune activation may serve as an internal cue that prompts birds to prioritize current reproduction over potential future reproductive opportunities. In this study, we experimentally exposed wild European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca females to an immune challenge through lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection to investigate the effects of immune activation on female incubation behaviour and its reproductive consequences. We found a clear reduction in the average duration of incubation and recess sessions in those birds administered with LPS, as well as a tendency to increase the number of incubation sessions, while other behaviours remained unaffected. These changes had no apparent effects on fitness-related traits of females, but they were related to fledging success, which was higher in females administered with LPS. These findings suggest that females can maintain sufficient incubation conditions while simultaneously sustaining their own fitness during immune activation, as well as a compensation for potential future reproductive failures by the prioritization of immediate reproduction.
PB Wiley
SN 0019-1019
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133686
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133686
LA eng
NO Barreda, I., Río, M.G.-d., Merino, S., Fuertes-Recuero, M. and Cantarero, A. (2026), Behavioural and fitness effects of experimental immune activation during incubation in a wild passerine. Ibis. https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.70037
NO Contribución de autores:Isabel Barreda: Methodology; writing – original draft. Marina García-del Río: Methodology; formal analysis; writing – review and editing; software. Santiago Merino: Methodology; writing – review and editing; supervision. Manuel Fuertes-Recuero: Methodology. Alejandro Cantarero: Writing – review and editing; project administration; supervision; resources; methodology; funding acquisition; conceptualization.
NO Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)
NO European Commission
DS Docta Complutense
RD 9 mar 2026