Seasonal variation in male-female competition,cooperation and selfish hoarding in a monogamous songbird |
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Authors: | Jamie Steer KC Burns |
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Institution: | (1) School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, P.O. Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand |
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Abstract: | Both cooperation and conflict between the sexes are commonplace in monogamous mating systems. However, little is known about
how cooperation and competition varies seasonally in monogamous species that maintain permanent territories. We presented
territorial pairs of male and female New Zealand robins (Petroica australis) with a large supply of insect prey at monthly intervals for 2 years. Behavioural observations after food presentation were
then made to quantify seasonal and sexual differences in aggressive interactions over prey, prey acquisition rates, mate provisioning,
offspring provisioning, selfish food hoarding and cache retrieval. Data were used to evaluate sex-specific behavioural strategies
of mediating competition for food. Results showed that males aggressively excluded females from experimental food sources
year-round. Females only accessed food sources when males left them unattended. Consequently, females acquired fewer prey
than males. After controlling for differences in prey acquisition, both sexes consumed similar amounts of prey in the non-breeding
season. Even though males aggressively excluded females from accessing food sources directly, males fed large amounts of prey
to females during the breeding season. Both sexes provisioned young at similar rates. Males cached less prey than females
in the breeding season but more prey than females in the non-breeding season. Females showed similar caching intensities year-round.
Although males tried to defend their hoards, females frequently retrieved male-made caches. Overall, results showed that although
New Zealand robins cooperate to raise offspring during the breeding season, conflict between the sexes occurs year-round.
Males and females display different behavioural strategies to gain access to experimental food sources, which appear to lessen
male–female competition for food and evenly distribute food resources between the sexes. |
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Keywords: | Cache Monogamy Parental care Sexual conflict Songbird |
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