House wrens are captured each year at Merwin Nature Preserve to track their reproduction and take their measurements. Some females, after successfully laying a clutch of eggs and feeding their young u..
House wrens are captured each year at Merwin Nature Preserve to track their reproduction and take their measurements. Some females, after successfully laying a clutch of eggs and feeding their young until they leave the nest, go on to produce a second clutch of eggs, called a second brood. This is beneficial because raising offspring a second time increases the chance some offspring will reproduce and carry her DNA on. However, surprisingly, not all females do so. My research uses historical data to investigate why some females raise two broods: those in high body condition, or heavier than expected for their body size, and those who lay their first clutch early are more likely to produce a second brood. Those who produce a second brood in one year are also likely to do so in another year. This indicates individual traits, like condition, influence the production of a second brood.
