
Henrik Smith
Professor

Intrasexual competition among polygynously mated female starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)
Författare
Summary, in English
In southern Sweden, the starling (Sturnus vulgaris) has a variable mating system with some males mating monogamously and others attracting several females. Mating status affected the reproductive success of females: monogamous and primary females laid larger clutches and fledged more and heavier young than secondary females. This pattern was explained by female competition for male help, with the male primarily helping the offspring of highest value (i.e., the oldest brood). However, when the nesting attempt of the primary female failed, the success of the secondary female increased to the same level as that for primary and monogamous females. The success of the secondary female in terms of fledging success and fledgling size was higher when the secondary female hatched her eggs soon after the primary female. This was due to the fact that a male divided his effort between his broods when the age difference between broods was small
Avdelning/ar
- Centrum för miljö- och klimatvetenskap (CEC)
- Biodiversitet
- MEMEG
- Biodiversitet och bevarandevetenskap
Publiceringsår
1994
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
57-63
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Behavioral Ecology
Volym
5
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
Oxford University Press
Ämne
- Ecology
Nyckelord
- POLYGYNY THRESHOLD
Status
Published
Forskningsgrupp
- Biodiversity and Conservation Science
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1045-2249