[Download] "Mate Guarding in Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus Polyglottos)." by The Texas Journal of Science # Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Mate Guarding in Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus Polyglottos).
- Author : The Texas Journal of Science
- Release Date : January 01, 2004
- Genre: Engineering,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 169 KB
Description
Abstract. -- The northern mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, is a socially monogamous passerine. Behavioral observations during the fertile (nest building and egg laying) and the non-fertile (incubation) stages were used to determine the presence of paternity assurance behaviors. Mockingbird pairs remained close (within 5 m) 76.3% of the time during the fertile period. Median intrapair distance changed significantly from 4.8 m during the fertile period to 11.3 m during the non-fertile period. Males followed females significantly more during the fertile stage than the non-fertile stage. In addition, males sang the most during the fertile period. The male perched higher than the female in all of the breeding stages. Male northern mockingbird behavior was consistent with the mate guarding hypothesis. However, an alternative hypothesis, i.e., that males remain close to females to ensure copulation at the fertile stage, could not be rejected. **********