Cooperative breeding behaviors in the Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni)

• Published in: Ecology and evolution 2021-05, Vol.11 (10), p.5010-5016
• Main Authors: Dibben‐Young, Arleone, Harmon, Kristen C., Lunow‐Luke, Arianna, Idle, Jessica L., Christensen, Dain L., Price, Melissa R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Animal behavior; Cameras; chick rearing; Communal breeding; delayed dispersal; Dispersal; Eggs; Females; helper‐at‐the‐nest; Himantopus mexicanus; Himantopus mexicanus knudseni; Islands; Males; Nature Notes; nest sharing; Nesting; nesting success; Population viability; Reproduction; Reproduction (biology); Siblings; waterbird; Wetlands; Wildlife sanctuaries
• ISSN: 2045-7758; 2045-7758
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7509

Cooperative breeding, which is commonly characterized by nonbreeding individuals that assist others with reproduction, is common in avian species. However, few accounts have been reported in Charadriiformes, particularly island‐nesting species. We present incidental observations of cooperative breeding behaviors in the Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), an endangered subspecies of the Black‐necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), during the 2012–2020 nesting seasons on the Hawaiian islands of O‘ahu and Moloka‘i. We describe two different behaviors that are indicative of cooperative breeding: (a) egg incubation by multiple adults; (b) helpers‐at‐the‐nest, whereby juveniles delay dispersal and reproduction to assist parents and siblings with reproduction. These observations are the first published accounts of cooperative breeding in this subspecies and merit further investigation, as cooperative breeding may improve population viability of the endangered, endemic Hawaiian Stilt. Cooperative breeding behaviors of Hawaiian Stilts, which have not been previously described in published literature, were observed on two Hawaiian islands. These behaviors include (a) egg incubation by multiple adults and (b) helpers‐at‐the‐nest, whereby juveniles delay dispersal and reproduction to assist parents and siblings with reproduction. Our observations merit further investigation, as cooperative breeding may improve population viability of the endangered, endemic Hawaiian Stilt.