Extra-pair paternity, breeding density, and synchrony in natural cavities versus nestboxes in two passerine birds.

ABSTRACT: Most of what is known about extra-pair paternity in hole-nesting birds derives from studies using artificial nesting sites, such as nestboxes. However, it has rarely been investigated whether inference drawn from breeding events taking place in nestboxes matches what would be observed under natural conditions, that is, in natural cavities. We here report on a variation in promiscuity in blue tits and great tits nesting in natural cavities and nestboxes in an urban forest in Warsaw, Poland. Specifically, we tested whether local breeding density, local breeding synchrony, and extra-pair paternity (inferred from SNP data generated with a high-throughput genotyping by sequencing method) differed between birds nesting in natural cavities and nestboxes. In both blue tits and great tits, the freq

SUBMITTER: Di Lecce I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10249044 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature