Mating systems, philopatry and dispersal in birds

• Main Author: J. Greenwood
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1980
• Subjects: Common tern; Sterna hirundo
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.497.4376; http://www.nbb.cornell.edu/wkoenig/wicker/nb4340/greenwood 1980.pdf

Abstract. Many species of birds and mammals are faithful to their natal and breeding site or group. In most of them one sex is more philopatric than the other. In birds it is usually females which disperse more than males; in mammals it is usually males which disperse more than females. Reproductive enhancement through increased access to mates or resources and the avoidance of inbreeding are important in promoting sex differences in dispersal. It is argued that the direction of the sex bias is a consequence of the type of mating system. Philopatry will favour the evolution of cooperative traits between members of the sedentary sex. Disruptive acts will be a feature of dispersers. Faithfulness to a site or group is a well docu-mented trait of many species of birds and mam-mals. It is particularly striking among adults which return to breed in the same area in succes-sive years. Migratory birds provide perhaps the most striking illustrations. In the colonially nest-ing common tern Sterna hirundo over half the returning adults reoccupy their previous mating