Abstract
We study the case of two sibling species ofHippolais(Aves). Very little differences can be observed in the morphology of both species. The breeding area of these species are complementary. Roughly, one species breeds North and East of Europe (Hippolais icterina) while the other breeds South and West of Europe (Hippolais polyglotta). There exitst a narrow zone of sympatry passing through Burgundy. Since several years, it has been observed that this area of sympatry was moving in the North-East direction at a European scale. This means that progressivelyH. icterina is declining and is replaced byH. polyglotta. Some assumptions can be made in order to explain this evolution, for instance competition or predation. Series of observations concerning the diets of nestlings of both species have been realized. These observations show some differences in the diet compositions. The breeding success of the two species has been studied. Numerical simulations of a competition model taking into account the observed differences between the food types eaten by the two species are presented. These simulations do not explain the regression ofH. icterina. Then, we present numerical simulations of a predation model with one predator attacking the nestlings of both species. These simulations show that with time one of the two preys must extinct. Predation rather than competition seems to be the right explanation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Auger, P. (1989). Dynamics and Thermodynamics in Hierarchically Organized Systems. Applications in Physics, Biology and Economics. Oxford, Pergamon Press.
Blondel, J. (1986). Biogeographie Évolutive. Paris, Masson.
Cody, M.L. (1969). Convergence characteristics in sympatric species: a possible relation to interspecific competition and aggression. The Condor 71: 222–239.
Cody, M.L. (1974). Competition and the structure of bird communities. Princeton, Princeton university press.
Diamond, J.M. (1975). Assembly of species communities. In: M.L. Cody and J.M. Diamond, eds., Ecology and Evolution of Communities, 342–444. Cambridge MA, Cambridge university press.
Diamond, J.M. (1978). Niche shifts and the rediscovery of interspecific competition. Am. Sci. 66: 322–331.
Elton, C.S. (1927). Animal Ecology. London, Sidgwick and Jackson.
Faivre, B. et C. Ferry (1989). La regression du Grand Contrefaisant (Hippolais icterina) en Bourgogne. Aves (actes du tième colloque international d'ornithologie, Liège 1988): 153–166.
Ferry, C. (1962). La zone de contact des deux Contrefaisants en Côte d'Or. Le Jean le Blanc 1: 47–51.
Ferry, C. (1975). Des Fauvettes bilingues. La Recherche 58: 486–487.
Ferry, C. (1980). Oiseaux (le chant des). Problèmes de compréhension entre les espèces. Encyclopedia Universalis, thèmes et problèmes: 323–326.
Henry, C. (1979). Ecologie d'une communauté de Passereaux paludicoles. Thèse de doctorat. Université d'Orléans.
Hespenheide, H.A. (1971). Food preference and the extent of overlap in some insectivorous birds, with special reference to the Tyrannidae. Ibis 113: 59–72.
Hutchinson, G.E. (1957). Concluding remarks. Cold Spring Harbor Symposium Quant. Biol. 22: 415–427.
Hutchinson, G.E. (1959). Homage to Santa Rosalia or why are there so many kinds of animals? The American Naturalist 93: 145–159.
Kendeigh, S.G. (1961). Animal Ecology. Englewood Cliffs NJ, Prentice Hall.
Lack D. (1971). Ecological Isolation in Birds. Blackwell Scientific Publ. Oxford.
MacArthur, R.H. (1968). The theory of the niche. In: R.C. Lewontin, ed., Population Biology and Evolution, 159–17. Syracuse, Syracuse university press.
MacArthur, R.H. (1972). Geographical Ecology. New York, Harper and Row.
MacArthur, R.H. and R. Levins (1967). The limiting similarity, convergence, and divergence of coexisting species. The american naturalist 101: 377–385.
Mayr, E. (1974). Populations, Espèces et Évolution. Paris, Hermann.
Mayfield, M.F. (1975). Suggestions for calculating nest success. Wilson Bulletin 87: 456–466.
Murray, B.G. (1971). The ecological consequences of interspecific territorial behaviour in birds. Ecology 52: 414–423.
Roughgarden, J. (1979). Theory of Population Genetics and Evolutionary Ecology: an Introduction. New York, MacMillan.
Simberloff, D. (1982). The status of competition theory in ecology. Ann. Zool. Fennici 19: 241–253.
Wiens, J.A. (1977). On competition and variable environments. Am. Sci. 65: 590–597.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Faivre, B., Auger, P.M. Competition and predation models applied to the case of the sibling birds species ofHippolais in Burgundy. Acta Biotheor 41, 23–33 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712771
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00712771