Sex‐specific effects of predation risk on parental care in a sexually dichromatic Neotropical songbird

Predation risk affects a broad range of bird behaviours, especially parental care. The adaptive behavioural changes presented by both parents, however, may differ according to different levels of predation risk suffered by each sex. This is especially prominent in sexually dichromatic species, where one of the sexes is more visually conspicuous and hence vulnerable to increased nest predation risk during nest visits. Here, we experimentally investigated how predation risk affects the parental behaviour of a sexually dichromatic Neotropical passerine, the blue-black grassquit (Volatinia jacarina). We used playbacks of known predators and non-predatorial control sympatric species near nesting pairs in the field. Results show that grassquits modify their behaviour according to predation risk and that this behavioural response is sexdependent. Males decrease their nest visit times, become more discreet when moving towards the nest, and stop performing sexual displays after leaving the nest....