Testosterone and prolactin levels in incubating Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus)

Abstract

<p>The hormones prolactin (PRL) and testosterone (T) are linked to breeding behaviors such as territory defense, incubation, and brood-rearing in birds. The Mountain Plover (<em><em>Charadrius montanus</em></em>) is a shorebird with an uncommon parental care system in which males and females tend separate nests. We collected blood from incubating male (<em>n</em> = 38) and female (<em>n</em> = 33) Mountain Plovers in Montana to determine how circulating plasma PRL and T varied by sex, day of incubation, and across the nesting season. PRL levels were similar in males and females. There was no relationship between day of incubation or Julian day and circulating PRL for either sex. T concentrations were higher in males than in females and tended to decrease across the incubation season for both sexes.</p>