The spatial distribution and breeding behavior of neighboring birds (conspecific and heterospecific) may influence reproduction and the effects differ across species. In this study, we investigated intra- and inter-specific spatial distribution of breeding via artificial nestboxes and examined whether overlap with neighbors affected reproductive success of the focal breeding pair. Regarding spatial distribution, Varied Tits (Sittiparus varius) and Cinereous Tits (Parus cinereus) showed similar pattern: distances of nestboxes containing conspecific tits were greater than those with heterospecific ones. In terms of breeding behavior, reproductive success was not significantly related to the distance from their neighbor’s nest. The reproductive success of Varied Tits was significantly related to that of their neighbors, while in Cinereous Tits, no strong link was found to any recorded reproductive behavior of the neighbors. These findings explain spatial variation in nest site selection of Varied Tits and Cinereous Tits. Reproductive success rate of Varied Tits is affected by that of the neighbors while that of Cinereous Tits is not. The results highlight that there are differences in reproductive outcome among related species and offer suggestions on the use of artificial nestboxes in experiment and conservation programs.
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Open Access
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Open Access
Research
Issue
Extra-pair copulation behavior has been widely studied among socially monogamous birds. Many species revealed high rates of extra-pair paternity. But few of the studies have been carried out in the Asian population.
From 2012 to 2019, we explored the extra-pair paternity of Marsh Tits (Poecile palustris) in Xianrendong National Nature Reserve, Liaoning Province, China. During the study, adult Marsh Tits were captured with mist nets and parental birds, with nest-box traps. Blood samples were taken from the brachial vein. Parentage analyses were carried out using nine highly variable microsatellite loci through Cervus 3.0 software and maximum likelihood approach.
Forty-nine offspring (15.08%) from 20 nests (45.45%) were the results of extra-pair fertilization out of a total of 325 offspring in 44 nests. The average extra-pair offspring ratio was 33.54%, with a set varying from 11.11 to 71.43%. Nine extra-pair fathers had been successfully identified, four of whom were the close neighbors of the focus nest while the nests of the remaining five were relatively far. No significant difference was found in the genetic similarity between the social and extra-pair mates of the female, nor in the heterozygosis among the maternal half-siblings.
In general, our study proved that the extra-pair paternity in Marsh Tits and its extra-pair mating is independent of the genetic compatibility hypothesis. This complements the understudied bird's extra-pair paternity in Asian area and contributes to the comprehensive insight of birds' extra-pair paternity behaviors.
