False Mating of Blackbirds (Turdus merula) and Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris)

ABSTRACT During an intensive study of the urban population of the blackbird Turdus merula in Szczecin (1997–2023), four cases of surrogate copulation were observed in the blackbird and three in the fieldfare Turdus pilaris. In three cases, birds (blackbirds twice and fieldfare once) try to copulate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology and evolution 2025-01, Vol.15 (1), p.e70663-n/a
Main Authors: Wysocki, Dariusz, Dudzińska‐Nowak, Joanna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal reproduction
Behavioural Ecology
Birds
breeding behavior
Copulation
Females
Males
Nature Notes
Population studies
Reproductive system
Sexual behavior
Sperm
Turdidae
Turdus merula
Turdus pilaris
Urban populations
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Summary:ABSTRACT During an intensive study of the urban population of the blackbird Turdus merula in Szczecin (1997–2023), four cases of surrogate copulation were observed in the blackbird and three in the fieldfare Turdus pilaris. In three cases, birds (blackbirds twice and fieldfare once) try to copulate with fledglings of their own species, and in all other cases, the birds try to copulate with moss and sticks. In three cases copulation, attempts were done by adult birds (two blackbirds and one fieldfare), and in four cases, it was a fledgling. The article describes seven surrogate copulations observed in blackbirds and fieldfares in light of hypotheses explaining this phenomenon.
ISSN:2045-7758
2045-7758
DOI:10.1002/ece3.70663