title: Long-term variation in hemoglobin concentration in nestling great tits Parus major.
abstract: Several studies have previously proposed that blood hemoglobin concentration in nestling passerines is a reliable index of individual condition and nutritional state. In this paper we present results concerning variation in hemoglobin concentration in the blood of ca. 14-day-old nestling great tits Parus major in central Poland in an 11-year-long period, 2003-2013, in two distinct habitat types: urban park and deciduous forest. The most important findings of the study were: (i) variation in hemoglobin concentration was consistent within broods, (ii) hemoglobin concentration of nestlings varied markedly across years, (iii) hemoglobin concentration was significantly higher in the forest study site which is richer in terms of food abundance during the short period of tits breeding season and (iv) high hemoglobin level was a predictor of nestling survival from hatching to fledging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Teacher Training and Biological Diversity Studies, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łodź, Poland. Electronic address: akalin@biol.uni.lodz.pl.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaliński
authors.affiliation: Museum of Natural History, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Kilińskiego 101, 90-011 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Mirosława
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bańbura
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glądalski
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Markowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skwarska
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wawrzyniak
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zieliński
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cyżewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bańbura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009425:Nesting Behavior; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000097:blood*; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins
keywords: Blood hemoglobin; Parus; Passerine; Spatial and temporal variation; Wild population