Abstract
THE Arctic skua is a polymorphic seabird with three phenotypes in plumage—pale, intermediate and dark. The dates during the breeding season when new pairs breed are related to the phenotypes of the males1,2: on average, dark males breed before intermediate males who breed before pale males. This effect is most pronounced when the male has no previous breeding experience3. These observations can be explained by assuming that females have mating preferences for the darker males2,4. Each breeding pair of Arctic skuas defends a territory: some defend their territories very strongly, attacking intruders viciously, others seldom attack. In the red grouse, androgen levels have been shown to determine both aggression and mating success of males5. We show here that the size of a male's territory may either correlate with breeding time and mating preference through a common cause, or determine them both directly.
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DAVIS, J., O'DONALD, P. Territory size, breeding time and mating preference in the Arctic skua. Nature 260, 774–775 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/260774a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/260774a0
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