Similarity in nest defense intensity in Canada goose pairs

Individuals consistently differ in their behavior, and such personality differences are often linked to fitness. For biparental care species, the behavior of both parents can impact reproductive success. Behavioral similarity within pairs has been shown to provide selective advantages for many speci...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral ecology and sociobiology 2019-08, Vol.73 (8), p.1-9, Article 108
Main Authors: Clermont, Jeanne, Réale, Denis, Giroux, Jean-François
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal Ecology
Animal populations
Animal reproduction
Animal species
Aquatic birds
Assortative mating
Behavioral Sciences
Biological evolution
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Bivariate analysis
Breeding
Breeding seasons
Breeding success
Fitness
Life Sciences
Mate selection
Nesting
Nests
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Personality
Phenotypes
Reproduction
Reproductive fitness
Similarity
Species
Waterfowl
Wildfowl
Zoology
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Summary:Individuals consistently differ in their behavior, and such personality differences are often linked to fitness. For biparental care species, the behavior of both parents can impact reproductive success. Behavioral similarity within pairs has been shown to provide selective advantages for many species. In this study, we tested for behavioral similarity in 129 pairs of nesting Canada geese (Branta canadensis) with respect to nest defense behavior, an individually consistent trait. We used a bivariate mixed model to provide unbiased estimates of correlations between partners’ traits. We also tested for the effect of behavioral similarity between mates on reproductive success and predicted greater success for positively assorted pairs. We found that over four consecutive years, pairs of Canada geese were formed of individuals showing similar nest defense intensities. Assortment between mates may result both from personality-dependent non-random mate choice and from behavioral adjustments after pairing that are maintained in the long term. However, behavioral adjustment to a shared environment, among and within breeding seasons, had negligible effects on the covariation between partners’ traits. We also found that similarity in nest defense intensity did not result in higher reproductive success. The factors at the origin of the evolution of long-term behavioral similarity based on nest defense in Canada geese pairs remain to be identified.
ISSN:0340-5443
1432-0762
DOI:10.1007/s00265-019-2719-3