The scope and adaptive value of modulating aggression across breeding stages: Case study in a competitive female songbird

In seasonally breeding animals, costs and benefits of territorial aggression should vary over time; however, little work thus far has directly examined the scope and adaptive value of individual-level plasticity in aggression across breeding stages. We explore these issues using the tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), a bird species in which females compete for limited nesting sites before producing a single brood. We measured the aggressiveness of nearly 100 females within three different stages: (1) shortly after territory-establishment, (2) during early incubation, and (3) while caring for young chicks. We used k-means clustering to categorize females into four distinct plasticity ‘types’ based on the timing, direction, and magnitude of their changes in aggression between stages. We then tested whether plasticity type and stage-specific aggression vary with key performance metrics. Two of the four plasticity types became less aggressive across consecutive breeding stages, consistent ..., Collection and processing of the data described in detail in the manuscript \"The scope and adaptive value of modulating aggression across breeding stages: case study in a competitive female songbird\". , All analyses were conducted in R., # Data from: The scope and adaptive value of modulating aggression across breeding stages: Case study in a competitive female songbird

Paper: Scope and adaptive value of modulating aggression over breeding stages in a competitive female bird
Authors: Elizabeth M George, Abigail M Weber, Kimberly A Rosvall

Description:

This README file describes the data accompanying the above publication.

Each line of data refers to data collected from one female tree swallow during one particular year. Below are descriptions of the contents of each column:

* Year= calendar year. 2018 corresponds to Y1 in text, 2020 corresponds to Y2

* F_ID= female ID (unique 9-digit federal band #)

* Age_class = y1 = one year old (brown plumage) females, y2+ are females 2y old or older (blue-green plumage)

* Age= age in years

* How_aged= whether female’s age is exact (‘known’) or an estimated minimum, based on their plumage when originally banded (see next 3 columns)

* year_banded= year...