Meeting Abstract

38.6  Tuesday, Jan. 5  The effects of distance to road, nest site characteristics, and parental stress response on nestling stress response in the Mountain White-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) CRINO, O.L.*; KLAASSEN VAN OORSCHOT, B.; MALISCH, J.L.; BREUNER, C.B.; University of Montana ondi.crino@gmail.com

Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress is a ubiquitous phenomenon across vertebrate taxa. Glucocorticoid responses in developing animals have been well described in several mammalian and avian species. While glucocorticoid responses may enhance offspring success through increased food availability or accelerated transition to independence, they may also decrease offspring quality and alter life-long patterns of glucocorticoid secretion. To better understand the control of HPA function during development, we examined several factors that may shape glucocorticoid responses in the Mountain White-crowned Sparrow ( Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) nestlings including: nest proximity to a high traffic road, the ecological characteristics of nest site, and parental stress response. We found that nestling corticosterone titers are negatively correlated with distance to a high traffic road and that nest site characteristic influence nestling stress response. Analysis of the parental stress response and its relationship to nestling stress response is ongoing.