Energy requirements for growth in relation to sexual size dimorphism in marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus nestlings

Food consumption was measured in six female and seven male hand-raised mars h harrier (Circus aeruginosus) nestlings. Females consumed on average 4,321 g and males consumed 3,571 g of food during the nestling stage from 0 to 3 6 d. Total consumption until 56 d was 6,960 g and 5,822 g for females and m ales, respectively. On the basis of Fisher's sex ratio theory, this food in take ratio of 0.46 (intake male/[intake male + female]) would explain the o bserved male-biased fledging sex ratio of 55% males in marsh harrier broods . Growth, gross energy intake, and metabolizable energy intake were measure d, along with metabolism of the nestlings, enabling us to determine energy allocation. The assimilation quotient (Q = 0.72) did not differ systematica lly between the sexes. Differences in metabolic rates between males and fem ales at 15 and 30 d of age were fully attributable to the difference in bod y mass. Sexual size dimorphism in marsh harriers (female body mass around 6 0 d of age is 1.28 times greater than male mass) did not fully explain the difference in food intake between male and female nestlings: an analysis of energy requirements for growth and body mass in 16 avian species shows tha t energy intake was less than proportional to the average body mass at rele ase. The data presented in this study are in agreement with Fisher's theory of inverse proportionality between the sex-specific ratios of energy requi rements for growth and of offspring numbers in the marsh harrier population .