Classical polyandry found in the three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus

• We report two cases of simultaneous, social polyandry in the three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus found in Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany during an 11-year study. The first case was between two neighbouring pairs in 2003. A female incubated both of her clutches during a period of at least 8 days. The second case was in 2004 between a widowed male and a female of a neighbouring pair. This time, a female divided parental care between her two clutches during a period of at least 27 days. We hypothesise that social polyandry in the three-toed woodpecker may be linked to the parental quality of the first male.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

parental quality

simultaneous

social polyandry

woodpeckers

care

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)