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- Title
Sexual Selection, Arrival Times, Philopatry and Site Fidelity in the Polyandrous Spotted Sandpiper.
- Authors
Oring, L. W.; Lank, D. B.
- Abstract
1. Spotted sandpipers have a resource defense polyandrous mating system in which females compete for control of breeding territories and mates, and males provide most of the parental care. 2. Data from a nine year study of a local breeding population showed that females preceded males to the breeding ground in spring. Within each sex, experienced local breeders arrived before new breeders. The mean arrival time of new females coincided with egg-laying of first clutches by experienced females, and at this time new females experienced their greatest success at entering the breeding population. Arrival of new males coincided with the onset of incubation by experienced males. 3. Breeding males and females returned from year to year at similar rates. Birds returned at lower rates following breeding failure. This effect was strongest among birds after their first local breeding year, i.e. inexperienced birds, and weakest among experienced females. 4. Significantly more locally hatched females than males returned and bred on the study site in their first year. Similarly, there were more locally hatched female than male chicks which returned but did not breed. 5. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the intensity of sexual selection drives the arrival timing of individuals on breeding grounds, and affects patterns of natal philopatry. The importance of territorial control in obtaining mates causes females to precede males, which is a complete reversal of the normal avian pattern. In both sexes, inexperienced birds arrive when intrasexual competition is lessened by the commitment of older birds to reproductive or parental activities. Greater female natal philopatry may reflect an increased importance of site familiarity for females as they attempt to become breeders in this resource defense polyandrous system.
- Subjects
SANDPIPERS; ANIMAL sexual behavior; SEXUAL selection; ANIMAL breeding; MATING grounds; PARENTAL behavior in animals
- Publication
Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology, 1982, Vol 10, Issue 3, p185
- ISSN
0340-5443
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/BF00299684