| department of population ecology | ::: | institute | ::: | university | ::: |  |
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dr hab. Mariusz Cichoń
cichon@eko.uj.edu.pl |
Dep. of Population Ecology Inst. of Environmental Sciences Jagiellonian University Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków Poland tel. + 48 12 664 52 01 fax + 48 12 664 69 12 |
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Dubiec A., Witek M., Cichoń M.
AUK
2005; in press
Abstract:
We studied the relation between breeding parameters and leukocyte counts (number of cells in 1 mm3 of blood) in Great Tit (Parus major) females. To exclude potential effects of high reproductive effort related to nestling provisioning on leukocyte concentration, blood for counting leukocytes was collected from females at the end of the incubation period. Early breeding females had greater blood counts of total leukocytes, lymphocytes and heterophils than birds commencing their clutches late in the season. Reproductive success, measured as the number of successfully fledged young, declined over the breeding season and showed no association with total leukocyte concentration. The number of leukocytes was not related to female condition measured as residuals from the regression of body weight on tarsus length. Moreover, the concentration of leukocytes did not predict the probability that a female would survive to the following breeding season.
d e s i g n e d b y P a w e ł K a p u s t a