Abstract
I designed two experiments to evaluate how polygyny is achieved in Southern House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon musculus) breeding in a south-temperate population. In the first experiment, I manipulated territory attractiveness by adding high quality nesting sites (nest-boxes) to 50% of monogamous territories (n = 24) and evaluated if males can attract a second female when defending high quality resources. In the second experiment, I simulated high male mortality early in the breeding season by removing 30 territorial males in plots where wrens had been breeding in nest-boxes (n = 47 territories). The first experiment did not induce polygyny: although females switched from breeding in tree cavities to nest-boxes when boxes were erected on their territory, none of the neighbouring females who did not receive a box moved to breed as a secondary female. The male removal experiment did induce polygyny: of 21 experimentally widowed females, 38% bred as secondary females of neighboring males—who expanded their territories in the absence of a defending male—and accepted polygyny even in the presence of neighbouring territories held by bachelor males. Secondary females mated to polygynous males were rarely helped by the male while feeding nestlings, but primary and secondary females overlapped very little in the use of space. Hence, females mated to polygynous males may share parental care disproportionally but not territorial resources. Female attachment to territories and exclusive use of space together with male’s expansion of territories to achieve polygyny suggests that Southern House Wrens engage in sublease polygyny.
Zusammenfassung
Wie bewerkstelligen die Südliche Hauszaunkönige Troglodytes aedon musculus ihre Vielweiberei? Ein experimenteller Ansatz.
Ich unternahm zwei unterschiedlich angesetzte Versuche, um herauszufinden, wie Südliche Hauszaunkönige (Troglodytes aedon musculus) einer Population der südlich-gemäßigten Klimazone es anstellt, Vielweiberei zu etablieren. Im ersten Experiment manipulierte ich die Attraktivität des Brutgebiets, indem ich in 50% der „monogamen“Reviere (n = 24) hochkomfortable Brutplätze (Nistkästen) anbrachte und untersuchte, ob Männchen mit solchen besonders attraktiven Ressourcen ein zusätzliches Weibchen anziehen konnten. Im zweiten Experiment simulierte ich früh in der Brutzeit eine hohe Männchen-Sterblichkeit, indem ich 30 territoriale Männchen an andere Plätze verbrachte, in denen Zaunkönige schon einmal in Nistkästen gebrütet hatten (n = 47 Reviere). Im ersten Experiment trat keine Vielweiberei auf: obwohl die Weibchen vom Brüten in Baumhöhlen zu den Nistkästen übergingen, wenn diese in ihrem Revier angebracht worden waren, tat sich keines der benachbarten Weibchen ohne Nistkasten mit einem Nistkasten-Besitzer zusammen, um als zusätzliches Weibchen für ihn zu brüten. Im Experiment mit den herausgenommenen Männchen trat jedoch Polygynie auf. Von den 21 künstlich zu Witwen gemachten Weibchen taten sich 38% mit Männchen angrenzender Reviere, die diese wegen des Fehlens eines verteidigenden Männchens vergrößern konnten, als „Nebenweibchen“zusammen und akzeptierten dessen Vielweiberei sogar auch dann, wenn es in angrenzenden Revieren unverpaarte Männchen gab. Die mit polygamen Männchen verpaarten „Zweitweibchen“wurden von ihren Männchen nur selten beim Füttern unterstützt; in der Ausnutzung des vorhandenen Platzes überlappten Erst- und Zweitweibchen nur sehr wenig. Es scheint also, daß sich mit polygamen Männchen verpaarte Weibchen die elterliche Betreuung, nicht aber die Nutzung territorialer Ressourcen unverhältnismäßig teilen. Die weibliche Bindung an Reviere und exklusive Platz-Nutzung zusammen mit der Revier-Ausweitung von Männchen zur Erlangung von Polygynie legen nahe, dass die Südliche Hauszaunkönige eine Art von „Gelegenheits-Vielweiberei“betreiben.
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Acknowledgments
I thank David Cerasale, Valentina Ferretti, Gustavo Fernández, John W. Fitzpatrick, Katie LaBarbera, Irby J. Lovette, Paul W Sherman, and David W. Winkler for helpful comments on the manuscript. I am grateful to Patricia Gowaty and an anonymous reviewer for their comments and suggestions to improve the manuscript. I thank Mariana Carro, Gustavo Fernández, Valentina Ferretti, Myriam Mermoz and Pablo Rodriguez for help in the field, the Whisky-Michelli family for allowing me to work in their ranches and Mario Beade for logistic support. Economic support was provided by the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, International Research Travel Grant from the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, Cornell Chapter of Sigma Xi, OAS graduate fellowship, Grant in Aid for Research from the National Academy of Sciences, Administered by Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, American Ornithologist Union Research Award and Andrew W. Mellon Student Research Grant. The field work described here is comply with the laws of Argentina during the period that it took place.
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Communicated by T. Friedl.
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Llambías, P.E. How do Southern House Wrens Troglodytes aedon musculus achieve polygyny? An experimental approach. J Ornithol 153, 571–578 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-011-0778-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-011-0778-y