Summary
The reproductive success of female house sparrows mated with polygynous males depended to some extent on the aid received from their mates. Polygynous males fed nestlings at the same rate as monogamous males although polygynous males gave aid almost exclusively to one of their mates (the “preferred”). As a consequence, the number and quality of young raised by “preferred” females were similar to those of monogamous females, whereas nonaided females experienced a reduction of clutch size, hatching success, and fledgling quality. Males aided the harem female that hatched her clutch earliest (in 11 out of 12 cases). However, harem females that laid eggs earliest (i.e., the potential “preferred”) lost eggs and/or nestlings more frequently than harem females that delayed laying. This resulted from competing females' infanticide suited for redirecting males' aid. All polygynously mated females delayed the start of a new clutch and reproduced fewer times per season than monogamous females. Consequently, monogamy seems to be the optimum mating situation for females; whereas polygynous males raised more young per year than monogamous males, interference between harem females reduced their maximum expected success.
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Veiga, J.P. Sexual conflict in the house sparrow: interference between polygynously mated females versus asymmetric male investment. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 27, 345–350 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164005
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00164005