Male-male pair bonding, nesting and egg incubation in a wild passerine
Date
2017
Authors
Kindel, Jennifer
Legge, Sarah
Milenkaya, Olga
Walters, Jeffrey R
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Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Examples of nesting behavior between pairbonded males are exceedingly rare among songbirds. We observed a male same-sex pair bond that resulted in the partial development of one egg while monitoring the breeding activity of a population of wild Crimson Finches (Neochima phaeton) over four breeding seasons. This male–male pair built four nests and incubated two clutches, each with a single egg of unknown origin, with at least one developing partially before failing. This same-sex behavior is unusual among passerines and its origin and evolutionary significance remain poorly understood.
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Source
Journal of Ornithology
Type
Journal article