Social organization, demography and genetic mating system of a Tibetan cooperative breeder. (11th May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tang, Shiyi; Ke, Dianhua; Yu, Tonglei; Wang, Changcao; Zhao, Qingtian; Fan, Haiying; Zhang, Guoyue; Wang, Chen; Lu, Xin
• Is Part Of: Ibis. Volume 159:Number 3(2017:Jul.)
• Page Start: 687
• Page End: 692
• Publication Date: 2017-05-11
• Subjects: ecological constraints -- evolution -- extra‐pair parentage -- helping behaviour -- high altitude -- inbreeding -- Tibetan Ground Tit; Birds -- Periodicals; 598
• DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12485
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0019-1019

Abstract

Abstract : Knowledge of cooperative breeding in birds from longitudinal studies is available only for a small proportion of species. This paper reports data from a 12‐year study on the Tibetan Ground Tit Pseudopodoces humilis . On average, 27.2% (range: 13.0–36.1%) of monogamous pairs in each year contained one (85.4%) or more (14.6%) male helpers, 83.7% of which were yearlings staying on natal territories. Most helpers (89.6%) helped once and then bred independently. Adults had male‐biased sex ratios, low annual survival rates (averaging 0.50) and shorter longevities (averaging 1.8 years) compared with low‐altitude avian cooperative breeders, suggesting that mate shortage promotes helping behaviour in this species. Incest occurred rarely (2.1% of pairs), probably because kin recognition occurs through year‐around living in family groups. There was a low level (3.1% of broods) of extra‐pair parentage, which could facilitate the maintenance of cooperative breeding.