The effects of age, sex and season on the live weight and weight of liver, ether-extractable fats, fat-free weight and gizzard contents were examined for starlings in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Earlier studies of the starling (Sturnus vulgaris) population at Belmont, Lower Hutt, New Zealand, showed that nest productivity was low compared with other populations in New Zealand and elsewhere. Therefore, we investigated possible trade-offs between offspring number and quality (as measured by body mass and composition). We also compared these measures of offspring condition with pre- and post-fledging survival. Nestling mass did not significantly differ with clutch size or brood size at any age.
