Female Initiated Divorce in a Monogamous Songbird: Abandoning Mates for Males of Higher Quality

摘要: Divorcing a current partner to re-pair with mate of higher quality may be strategy increase reproductive success used by socially monogamous birds. By increasing the availability males through selective removal during nest building period, we found that female black-capped chickadees, Parus atricapillus, will desert their mates pair social rank, trait closely associated resource holding potential in this species. Females from neighbouring territories were more likely for high ranked rather than low widower males; six seven ranking and one chosen divorcing females. Six females dominant deserted. Once released, originally removed able re-establish pairbonds mates. Higher ranks have enabled them exclude lower replacement females, reflect natural constraint on choice.