title: The silver spoon effect and habitat selection by natal dispersers.
abstract: The silver spoon effect in the context of habitat selection occurs when dispersers in good condition are more likely to settle in high-quality habitats than dispersers in poor condition. Positive relationships between disperser condition and the quality of post-dispersal habitats are predicted by at least two non-exclusive ultimate hypotheses. The competition hypothesis assumes that a disperser's condition affects its chances of competing for space or joining an established group after arriving at a high-quality habitat, while the search hypothesis assumes that a disperser's condition affects its selectivity, and hence its chances of accepting a lower-quality habitat when it is searching for a new habitat. Thus far, silver spoon effects in the context of habitat selection have been reported in only a handful of species (several birds and marine invertebrates), but this study suggests that they may be relatively common in particular species and situations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Judy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stamps
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology; D003710:Demography; D017753:Ecosystem; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors