The adaptive significance of off-lek sociality in birds: A synthetic review, with evidence for the reproductive benefits hypothesis in Long-wattled Umbrellabirds: La importancia adaptativa de la sociabilidad fuera del lek: una revisión sintetizada, con evidencia por la hipótesis de los beneficios reproductivos en el Pájaro Paraguas Longipéndulo

Anecdotal evidence suggests that lekking birds exhibit considerable variation in form and degree of sociality away from the lek, yet this phenomenon has received very little theoretical or empirical research attention. Here, we provide the first synthetic literature review of off-lek sociality in bi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Auk 2023-07, Vol.140 (3), p.1
Main Authors: Anderson, H Luke, Olivo, Jorge, Karubian, Jordan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptiveness
Birds
Breeding seasons
Cephalopterus penduliger
Foraging
Foraging behavior
Hypotheses
Incentives
Lek
Lek behavior
Literature reviews
Males
Reproductive behaviour
Seasonal variations
Sexual selection
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Anecdotal evidence suggests that lekking birds exhibit considerable variation in form and degree of sociality away from the lek, yet this phenomenon has received very little theoretical or empirical research attention. Here, we provide the first synthetic literature review of off-lek sociality in birds and develop a conceptual framework for the potential adaptive function of off-lek sociality across lekking taxa. We then present a case study of the Long-wattled Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger), where we find support for the hypothesis that off-lek sociality is primarily driven by male reproductive incentives for coordinating lek attendance during the breeding season. During periods of high lekking activity, male umbrellabirds depart the lek in highly coordinated groups and maintain larger off-lek social groups relative to periods of low lekking activity. These seasonal differences in off-lek sociality do not occur in females, are not explained by patterns of foraging behavior, and are expected to confer individual-level benefits for participating males. Both the literature review and empirical study of umbrellabirds suggest that off-lek interactions and behavioral strategies may shape sexual selection processes at leks in important ways. Further research into this historically understudied area of lekking species' behavioral ecology will likely deepen our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of lek mating.
ISSN:2732-4613
DOI:10.1093/ornithology/ukad021