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Do female pigeons trade pair copulations for protection?
1Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield
Animal Behaviour
|December 16, 1998
Summary
Female pigeons solicit copulations to gain protection from sexual harassment by other males. This trade-off benefits females by reducing harassment and maintaining foraging efficiency, ensuring paternity for their partners.
Area of Science:
- Ethology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Avian Reproduction
Background:
- Male pigeons exhibit intense mate guarding and frequent copulation, presumed paternity assurance strategies.
- Understanding the female perspective on these behaviors is crucial for a complete picture of reproductive strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the benefits of male mate guarding and frequent copulation for female pigeons.
- To determine if females gain advantages from their partner's guarding behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Field observations of pigeon mating behaviors.
- Experimental removal of guarding male partners to assess female behavior and interactions.
Main Results:
- Females initiated the majority of copulations.
- Females soliciting copulations more frequently received closer guarding from their partners.
- Unguarded, fertile females experienced increased harassment from extrapair males, reducing foraging efficiency.
- Unguarded, fertile females did not seek extrapair copulations.
Conclusions:
- Female pigeons trade copulations for protection against sexual harassment.
- Mate guarding by males provides significant benefits to females, including reduced harassment and maintained foraging efficiency.
- Female-initiated copulations serve as a mechanism to secure male protection.