A Test on Social Behavior as a Cause of Dispersal of Spruce Grouse

Social behavior is one hypothesized cause for dispersal. We tested this hypothesis on spruce grouse (Dendragapus canadensis) in two years by removing adults in summer and monitoring emigration of juveniles in autumn. Despite the absence of adults, juveniles emigrated from the natal range at rates co...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioral ecology and sociobiology 1992-05, Vol.30 (5), p.343-346
Main Authors: Keppie, Daniel M., Towers, Julie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Animal ethology
Aves
Biological and medical sciences
Emigration
Female animals
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Grouse
Male animals
Mating behavior
Minors
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Social behavior
Social interaction
Vertebrata
Young animals
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Social behavior is one hypothesized cause for dispersal. We tested this hypothesis on spruce grouse (Dendragapus canadensis) in two years by removing adults in summer and monitoring emigration of juveniles in autumn. Despite the absence of adults, juveniles emigrated from the natal range at rates comparable to juveniles on control areas. Data on density and dispersal from earlier spruce grouse studies are reviewed, which show that emigration is constant despite substantial differences in density, and that a clear female sex bias occurs across a wide range of densities. Results do not support the hypothesis that social behavior influences dispersal nor do they support a prediction of the "Oedipus hypothesis" that no sex bias occurs in polygynous birds.
ISSN:0340-5443
1432-0762
DOI:10.1007/BF00170601