What does this research mean for the field?

Abrupt spring frost events cause female Pied Flycatchers to reduce reproductive investment by laying smaller eggs due to energetic constraints, but this phenotypic plasticity allows them to maintain overall hatching success. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONFIRMATORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.SUPPORTS_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To evaluate whether an abrupt late-spring frost disrupts maternal reproductive investment, laying phenology, and hatching success in a montane songbird population.

September 10, 2026BMC ZoologyOpen Access

Abrupt spring frost is associated with reduced egg investment but not hatching success in a montane Pied Flycatcher population

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Authors

IBIsabel BarredaUniversidad Complutense de Madrid FSFekea SchaalInstitute of Avian Research ACAlejandro CantareroUniversidad Complutense de Madrid

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Implication

Natural experiment reveals reduced egg volume despite stable hatching success in montane Pied Flycatchers following spring frost, highlighting reproductive plasticity under climate extremes.

Key Points

To evaluate whether an abrupt late-spring frost disrupts maternal reproductive investment, laying phenology, and hatching success in a montane songbird population.
Monitored laying date, egg volume, and hatching success in a montane Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) population across three consecutive breeding seasons (2023–2025) in central Spain.
Combined reproductive data with on-site temperature tracking and satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to quantify canopy defoliation and resource availability.
Satellite NDVI indicated significantly reduced vegetation activity and canopy defoliation in 2024 following an abrupt freeze after early spring warmth.
Females laid significantly smaller eggs during the frost year relative to the preceding and succeeding years, displaying low within-female repeatability consistent with phenotypic plasticity.
Laying dates and overall hatching success exhibited limited interannual variation despite the energetic constraints induced by the frost.

Cite This Study

Barreda et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa27b0c58559d80afc73ffa https://doi.org/10.1186/s40850-026-00286-y

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Implication

Natural experiment reveals reduced egg volume despite stable hatching success in montane Pied Flycatchers following spring frost, highlighting reproductive plasticity under climate extremes.