2025/10/29 by Kyle‐Mark Middleton, Carrie J Hickman, Claire N. Spottiswoode +2 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Animal Behavior and Reproduction #Avian ecology and behavior #Genetic diversity and population structure
paper · doi:10.1086/739305
openalex created_date 2025/10/29 · openalex publication_date 2025/10/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/12
). Using 17 years of data from 23 groups within the Greater Kruger National Park, South Africa, we tested for associations between temperature, rainfall and group composition, and several reproductive parameters. Low winter rainfall decreased breeding probability, while higher temperatures delayed laying and reduced nestling mass, regardless of group composition. Nestlings had longer tarsi in groups with more adults, and groups with more juveniles bred earlier and were more likely to breed, likely reflecting territory quality rather than group composition. In conclusion, hot and dry conditions negatively impacted ground-hornbill breeding, and, as expected given their life history, group composition did not mitigate these effects. We suggest that life history strategies and nonreproductive benefits of collective behavior, such as resource defense and survival, should be considered when assessing cooperative breeders' responses to environmental fluctuations.