Extra-pair Paternity in Relation to Age of the Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula Parva males

Abstract

Despite advances in knowledge, in many bird species, the true mating system is unknown, and especially so for birds breeding at low densities under natural conditions. We studied paternity at the population and breeding pair level in the Red-breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva), a small, migrant passerine breeding in oldgrowth Białowie a Forest. Over seven breeding seasons we genotyped a total of 159 nestlings and 25 adult males as fathers from 33 broods of the Red-breasted Flycatcher. Extra-pair young were present in eight broods (24.2%). Twelve (7.5%) chicks mismatched with the 'social' male in several loci. Both low breeding density and synchrony in breeding phenology can explain such findings. Also of interest was the share of extra-pair paternity at the individual level, in relation to the age/ornamentation of the extra-pair male. Male Red-breasted Flycatchers exhibit delayed plumage maturation. Young males (second year) are without an orange badge on the throat and breast, while older males (after-second year) are ornamented and have an orange badge. The extra-pair nestlings were found in eight broods ,four with young males as a fathers (36.4%) and four in broods of old males (18.2%). However, in all seven cases when the age of the extra-pair partner was known, irrespective of the age of the social father, the extra-pair partner was a male with an orange patch on the breast. This indicated female preference for ornamented males as partners for extra-pair copulation.

Early arriving males wait longer for a mate than later arrivals: the case of a migratory monogamous passerine bird species

“…Protandry seems to be under sexual selection pressure and is observed in relation to sexual size and plumage dimorphism, and polygyny (Kissner et al 2003 ; Rubolini et al 2004 ). In the red-breasted flycatcher, sexual dimorphism in both size and plumage is observed (Svensson 1992 ) and, although it is considered to be a socially monogamous species (Mitrus and Soćko 2005 ), in more than 24% of clutches extra-pair nestlings were found (Mitrus et al 2014 ). More extra-pair nestling were found in the broods of young males which bred significantly later (Mitrus et al 2014 ).…”

“…In the red-breasted flycatcher, sexual dimorphism in both size and plumage is observed (Svensson 1992 ) and, although it is considered to be a socially monogamous species (Mitrus and Soćko 2005 ), in more than 24% of clutches extra-pair nestlings were found (Mitrus et al 2014 ). More extra-pair nestling were found in the broods of young males which bred significantly later (Mitrus et al 2014 ). Moreover, older, earlier arriving males were always found to be the extra-pair partner in broods with extra-pair young, irrespective of the age of the social father (Mitrus et al 2014 ).…”

“…More extra-pair nestling were found in the broods of young males which bred significantly later (Mitrus et al 2014 ). Moreover, older, earlier arriving males were always found to be the extra-pair partner in broods with extra-pair young, irrespective of the age of the social father (Mitrus et al 2014 ). Similarly in the pied flycatcher, males breeding early were often socially polygynous and were attaining extra-pair paternity and so increased their reproductive success (Canal et al 2012 ).…”

Hybridization between two recently diverged Neotropical passerines: The Pearly-bellied Seedeater Sporophila pileata, and the Copper Seedeater S. bouvreuil (Aves, Passeriformes, Thraupidae)

“…We considered Extra-Pair Paternity (EPP) when at least one young in a brood was not sired by at least one of its social parents [43], and we identified EPP by direct observation of allele inheritance [44,45], and by estimating the maximum likelihood values of relatedness (r) provided by ML-Relate [46]. With the direct observation method, EPP resulted when allelic mismatching occurred in at least two loci, as mismatching at only one locus can be potentially caused by mutations or null alleles [47,48].…”

Extra-pair paternity in a Neotropical rainforest songbird, the White-necked Thrush Turdus albicollis (Aves: Turdidae)

“…All the above estimates were performed using only the adult individuals. The identifications of EPY were conducted through direct observation of allele inheritance (fLeischer 1996, Mitrus et al 2014), and resulted when at least one young in a nest was sired by at least one extra-pair parent based on at least two loci. This is because mismatching at only one locus can be potentially caused by mutations or null alleles (Westneat & Mays 2005, Liu et al 2015.…”