Behavioral Ecology Advance Access originally published online on July 2, 2009
Behavioral Ecology 2009 20(5):1034-1038; doi:10.1093/beheco/arp094
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Male songbirds provide indirect parental care by guarding females during incubation
a Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA b U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
Address correspondence to B.C. Fedy, who is now at U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA. E-mail: bcfedy{at}gmail.com.
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Abstract |
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Across many taxa, guarding of fertile mates is a widespread tactic that enhances paternity assurance. However, guarding of mates can also occur during the nonfertile period, and the fitness benefits of this behavior are unclear. Male songbirds, for example, sometimes guard nonfertile females during foraging recesses from incubation. We hypothesized that guarding postreproductive mates may have important, but unrecognized, benefits by enhancing female foraging efficiency, thereby increasing time spent incubating eggs. We tested the hypothesis in 2 songbird species by examining female behavior during natural and experimentally induced absences of males. Male absence caused increased vigilance in foraging females that decreased their efficiency and resulted in less time spent incubating eggs. Male guarding of nonfertile females can thus provide a previously unrecognized form of indirect parental care.
Key words: foraging, gray-headed juncos, mate guarding, parental care, red-faced warblers.
Received 18 December 2008; revised 2 June 2009; accepted 9 June 2009.