The effect of tail streamer length on aerodynamic performance in the barn swallow
Open accessAbstract
The elongated tail of the male barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is regarded as one of the classic examples of a male trait exaggerated by female choice. However, recently a hypothesis has been proposed suggesting that the streamers, or elongated outer tail feathers, may aid aerodynamic performance through the Norberg mechanism, providing lift at slow speeds and high angles of attack when the tail is fully spread. The possibility exists that the tail streamer has evolved under natural selection, sexual selection, or a combination of both selection pressures. We tested these three hypotheses by reducing the streamer length of free-flying swallows and measuring their aerodynamic performance, using stereo-video. Measurements of flight performance were made from the digitized three-dimensional flight paths. Five flight variables best described the individual variation in flight performance. Four of these five parameters—mean velocity, mean curvature, maximum agility, and mean rate change of curvature in the XY plane—had significant second-order polynomial relationships with tail streamer manipulation. The first and second principal components (from principal components analysis of the flight variables) also showed similar relationships with streamer manipulation. The combination of a curvilinear relationship between flight performance and streamer length and an aerodynamic optimum between 0 and 20 mm reduction is only predicted if both natural and sexual selection have been acting on streamer morphology. Our data therefore suggest that sexual selection has extended streamer length by around 10 mm beyond its aerodynamic optimum. We suggest that both natural and sexual selection have been important in shaping tail morphology in the barn swallow, and the relative importance of both selection pressures is discussed.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Previous studies in birds have tended to focus on the influence of sexually selected traits during flight rather than terrestrial locomotion.
“Previous studies in birds have tended to focus on the influence of sexually selected traits during flight rather than terrestrial locomotion51516171819.”
From The peacock train does not handicap cursorial locomotor performance (2016) · cites this paper as [16]
Several studies have made inferences about the costs of carrying exaggerated traits by either removing or artificially exaggerating them further.
“Several studies have made inferences about the costs of carrying exaggerated traits by either removing or artificially exaggerating them further51516171819.”
From The peacock train does not handicap cursorial locomotor performance (2016) · cites this paper as [16]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
The genetical theory of natural selection
Fisher, R. A. (1930) · doi:10.5962/bhl.title.27468 · Cited by 17,617 · see citing works
The descent of man and selection in relation to sex
チャールス, ダ., & 茂穂, 田. (1907) · Tokyo Jinrui Gakkai zasshi · doi:10.1537/ase1887.22.495 · Cited by 10,909 · see citing works
Unrepeatable Repeatabilities: A Common Mistake
Lessells, C. M., & Boag, P. T. (1987) · The Auk · doi:10.2307/4087240 · Cited by 2,919 · see citing works
Identification Guide to European Passerines
Sevensson, L. (1975) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 2,561 · see citing works
The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex
Darwin, C. R. (1872) · D. Appleton and company eBooks · doi:10.5962/bhl.title.2112 · Cited by 2,440 · see citing works
The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection.
H., A. B., & Fisher, R. A. (1931) · Journal Of The Royal Statistical Society · doi:10.2307/2341823 · Cited by 1,595 · see citing works
Female choice selects for extreme tail length in a widowbird
Andersson, M. (1982) · Nature · doi:10.1038/299818a0 · Cited by 973 · see citing works
Sexual selection and the barn swallow
Møller, A. P. (1995) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.32-3312 · Cited by 714 · see citing works
Female choice selects for male sexual tail ornaments in the monogamous swallow
Møller, A. P. (1988) · Nature · doi:10.1038/332640a0 · Cited by 643 · see citing works
Sexual selection unhandicapped by the fisher process
Grafen, A. (1990) · Journal of Theoretical Biology · doi:10.1016/s0022-5193(05)80087-6 · Cited by 593 · see citing works
Sexual Selection and the Barn Swallow
Møller, A. P., & Gregersen, J. (1994) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198540298.001.0001 · Cited by 562 · see citing works
THE EVOLUTION OF COSTLY MATE PREFERENCES I. FISHER AND BIASED MUTATION
Pomiankowski, A., Iwasa, Y., & Nee, S. (1991) · Evolution · doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1991.tb02645.x · Cited by 396 · see citing works
On the aerodynamics of birds’ tails
Thomas, A. L. R. (1993) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.1993.0079 · Cited by 289 · see citing works
Møller, A. P. (1990) · Evolution · doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1990.tb03804.x · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Viability costs of male tail ornaments in a swallow
Møller, A. P. (1989) · Nature · doi:10.1038/339132a0 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Saino, N., Møller, A. P., & Bolzerna, A. M. (1995) · Behavioral Ecology · doi:10.1093/beheco/6.4.397 · Cited by 203 · see citing works
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE EFFORT DEPENDS ON THE DEGREE OF ORNAMENTATION OF THEIR MATES
de Lope, F., & M⊘ller, A. P. (1993) · Evolution · doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1993.tb02142.x · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Aerodynamics and the evolution of long tails in birds
Balmford, A. P., Thomas, A. L. R., & Jones, I. L. (1993) · Nature · doi:10.1038/361628a0 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF PATERNITY AND TAIL ORNAMENTATION IN THE BARN SWALLOW (HIRUNDO RUSTICA)
Saino, N., Primmer, C. R., Ellegren, H., & Møller, A. P. (1997) · Evolution · doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1997.tb02443.x · Cited by 170 · see citing works
Norberg, R. Å. (1994) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.1994.0119 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Evans, M. R., & Thomas, A. L. R. (1992) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(05)80229-5 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Møller, A. P. (1990) · Evolution · doi:10.2307/2409545 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
SEXUAL SELECTION IN THE BARN SWALLOW HIRUNDO RUSTICA. III. FEMALE TAIL ORNAMENTS
Møller, A. P. (1993) · Evolution · doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1993.tb02103.x · Cited by 118 · see citing works
DIFFERENTIAL COSTS OF A SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTER: AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST OF THE HANDICAP PRINCIPLE
Møller, A. P., & de Lope, F. (1994) · Evolution · doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1994.tb02204.x · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Sexual Selection in the Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica. III. Female Tail Ornaments
Møller, A. P. (1993) · Evolution · doi:10.2307/2410061 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Sexual selection and tail streamers in the barn swallow
Møller, A. P., Barbosa, A., Cuervo, J. J., et al. (1998) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.1998.0309 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Møller, A. P. (1991) · Evolution · doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1991.tb02690.x · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Differential Costs of a Secondary Sexual Character: An Experimental Test of the Handicap Principle
Møller, A. P., & de Lope, F. (1994) · Evolution · doi:10.2307/2410256 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Evans, M. R., & Hatchwell, B. J. (1992) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/bf00170172 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Rayner, J. M. V., & Aldridge, H. D. J. N. (1985) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.118.1.247 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
An Experimental Study of Paternity and Tail Ornamentation in the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
Saino, N., Primmer, C. R., Ellegren, H., et al. (1997) · Evolution · doi:10.2307/2411128 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Selection on swallow tail streamers
Evans, M. R. (1998) · Nature · doi:10.1038/28297 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Møller, A. P. (1991) · Evolution · doi:10.2307/2409834 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Differential predation cost of a secondary sexual character: sparrowhawk predation on barn swallows
Møller, A. P., & Nielsen, J. T. (1997) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1006/anbe.1997.9998 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Sexual selection and the tail ornaments of North American barn swallows
Smith, H. G., & Montgomerie, R. (1991) · Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology · doi:10.1007/bf00172171 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Testing the functional significance of tail streamers
Evans, M. R., & Thomas, A. L. R. (1997) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.1997.0030 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Phenotypic quality and molt in the barn swallow, Hirundo rustica
Møller, A. P., Magnhagen, C., Ulfstrand, A., et al. (1995) · Behavioral Ecology · doi:10.1093/beheco/6.3.242 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Barbosa, A. (1999) · Behavioral Ecology · doi:10.1093/beheco/10.2.128 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Length of tail streamers in barn swallows
Hedenström, A., & Møller, A. P. (1999) · Nature · doi:10.1038/16371 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Swallows unhandicapped by long tails?
(1995) · Trends in Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1016/s0169-5347(00)89021-7 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Length of tail streamers in barn swallows
Evans, M. R. (1999) · Nature · doi:10.1038/16374 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Andersson M, 1994. Sexual selection. Princeton, New Jersey: Prince- ton University Press.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Clarke, J. A., Zhou, Z., & Zhang, F. (2006) · Journal of Anatomy · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00534.x · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Unique caudal plumage of <i>Jeholornis</i> and complex tail evolution in early birds
O’Connor, J., Wang, X., Sullivan, C., Zheng, X., Tubaro, P., Zhang, X., & Zhou, Z. (2013) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1316979110 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
The peacock train does not handicap cursorial locomotor performance
Thavarajah, N. K., Tickle, P. G., Nudds, R. L., & Codd, J. R. (2016) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep36512 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
- Authors
- Buchanan, K. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Stirling (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Buchanan, K. L.
- ORCID
- Buchanan, K. L.
- Venue
- Behavioral Ecology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2000-03-01
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 228-238
- ISSN
- 1045-2249 (ISSN-L)
- 1465-7279
- OpenAlex
- W2157595840
- Cited by
- 95
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 10.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Behavioral Ecology (publishedVersion)
- Own your potential (DEAKIN) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- The HKU Scholars Hub (University of Hong Kong) (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Avian ecology and behavior
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Biomimetic flight and propulsion mechanisms
- Keywords
- Hirundo rustica, aerodynamic performance, sexual selection, natural selection, flight performance, tail morphology, female mate choice, flight path analysis
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
