Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mate fidelity in a population of Island Canaries (Serinus canaria) in the Madeiran Archipelago

Partnertreue bei einer Population von Kanarengirlitzen (Serinus canaria) im Madeira-Archipel

  • Published:
Journal für Ornithologie Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Previous studies have shown that extra-pair paternity occurs less frequently in island populations than in mainland populations. This is thought to be due mainly to the low genetic variability in island populations but non-genetic factors have also been discussed. Here we report the results of a parentage analysis in a population of island canaries (Serinus canaria) on a small uninhabited island in the Madeiran archipelago. Island canaries are socially monogamous, non-migratory seasonal breeders where biparental care is essential for offspring survival. Multilocus DNA-fingerprinting provided no evidence of extra-pair-paternity in 15 families comprising 45 juveniles. The band sharing coefficient for presumably unrelated breeding pairs was low (0.17 ± 0.03), an indication that genetic variability within the population is similar to most non-island populations of other species. Females did not seek extra-pair copulations and actively rejected sexual approaches from males other than their mate. We propose that female island canaries assess the quality of males during a perid outside the breeding season and optimise their mate choice according to learned preferences.

Zusammenfassung

Vorangegangene Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass Vaterschaften außerhalb des Paarbundes bei Inselpopulationen weniger häufig vorkommen als bei Festlandpopulationen. Dieses Phänomen wird hauptsächlich mit der bei Inselpopulationen auftretenden geringeren genetischen Variabilität begründet, aber auch nicht-genetische Faktoren werden diskutiert. Wir stellen in der vorliegenden Studie die Ergebnisse einer Vaterschaftsanalyse in einer Kanarengirlitz-Population auf einer kleinen, unbewohnten Insel im Madeira-Archipel vor. Kanarengirlitze sind sozial monogame Standvögel, die saisonal brüten. Die Brutpflege beider Eltern ist entscheidend für das überleben der Jungvögel. Multilocus-DNA-Fingerprinting ergab keinen Fall von Vaterschaften außerhalb des Paarbundes in 15 untersuchten Familien mit insgesamt 45 Jungvögeln. Der Anteil gemeinsamer Banden zwischen den unverwandten Elterntieren war niedrig (0.17 ± 0.03, Mittelwert ± s. d.), was darauf hindeutet, dass die genetische Variabilität dieser Population ähnlich der von Festlandpopulationen anderer Arten ist. Es konnte kein Fall beobachtet werden, in dem Weibchen Kopulationen mit fremden Männchen zu erlangen versuchten. Vielmehr verweigerten sie aktiv Kopulationsversuche fremder Männchen. Wir schlagen vor, dass die Kanarengirlitz-Weibchen die Zeit außerhalb der Brutzeit nutzen, um die Qualität der Männchen festzustellen und anhand gelernter Präferenzen ihre Partnerwahl optimieren.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beguin, N., Leboucher, G. & Kreutzer, M. (1998): Sexual preferences for mate song in female canaries (Serinus canaria). Behaviour 135: 1185–1196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead, T. R. & Møller, A. P (1996): Monogamy and sperm competition in birds. In: Black, J. M. (Ed.): Partnerships in birds: The study of Monogamy, pp. 323–343. Oxford.

  • Birkhead, T. R., Burke, T., Zann, R., Hunter, F. M. & Krupa, A. P. (1990): Extra-pair paternity and intraspecific brood parasitism in wild zebra finchesTaeniopygia guttata, revealed by DNA fingerprinting. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 27: 315–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, T. & Bruford, M. W. (1987): DNA fingerprinting in birds. Nature 327: 149–152.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, T., Davies, N. B., Bruford, M. W. & Hatchwell, B. J. (1989): Parental care and mating behavior of polyandrous dunnocks Prunella modularis related to paternity by DNA fingerprinting. Nature 338: 249–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cate, C. ten & Vos, D. R. (1999): Sexual imprinting and evolutionary processes in birds: a reassessment. Adv. Stud. Behav. 28: 1–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Depraz, V., Leboucher, G. & Kreutzer, M. (2000): Early tutoring and adult reproductive behaviour in female domestic canary (Serinus canaria). Anim. Cogn 3: 45–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Epplen, J. T. (1992): The methodology of multilocus DNA fingerprinting using radioactive or nonradioactive oligonucleotide probes specific for simple repeat motifs. In: Chrambach, A., Dunn, M. J. & Radola, B. J. (eds.) Advances in electrophoresis, Vol. 5: 59–112. Weinheim.

  • Gilbert, L., Burke, T. & Krupa, A. (1998): No evidence for extra-paternity in the western gull. Mol. Ecol. 7: 1549–1552.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gowaty, P. A. (1996a): Field studies of parental care in birds. In: Rosenblatt, J. S. & Snowdon, C. T. (Eds.): Advances in the study of behaviour, Vol. 25: 477–531. San Diego.

  • Gowaty, P. A. (1996b): Battles of the sexes and origins of monogamy. In: Black, J. M. (Ed.): Partnerships in birds: The study of Monogamy, pp. 21–52. Oxford.

  • Griffith, S. C. (2000): High fidelity on islands: a comparative study of extrapair paternity in passerine birds. Behav. Ecol. 11: 265–273.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffith, S. C., Stewart, I. R. K., Dawson, D. A., Owens, I. P. F. & Burke, T. (1999): Contrasting levels of extra-pair paternity in mainland and island populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus): is there an ‘island effect’? Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 68: 303–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gyllensten, U. B., Jakobsson, S. & Temrin, H. (1990): No evidence for illegitimate young in monogamous and polygynous warblers. Nature 343: 168–170.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haggerty, T. M., Morton, E. S. & Fleischer, R. C. (2001): Genetic monogamy in Carolina wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus). Auk 118: 215–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, F. M., Burke, T. & Watts, S. E. (1992): Frequent copulations as a method of paternity assurance in the Northern fulmar. Anim. Behav. 44: 149–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeffreys, A. J., Wilson, V. and Thein, S. L. (1985): Hypervariable ‘minisatellite’ regions in human DNA. Nature 357: 494–496.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempenaers, B. (1993): The use of a breeding synchrony index. Ornis Scand. 24: 84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lack, D. (1968): Ecological adaptations for breeding in birds. London.

  • Leitner, S., Voigt, C. & Gahr, M. (2001): Seasonal changes in the song pattern of the non-domesticated island canary (Serinus canaria), a field study. Behaviour 138: 885–904.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mauck, R. A., Waite, T. A. & Parker, P. G. (1995): Monogamy in Leach’s Storm-Petrel. DNA fingerprinting evidence. Auk 112: 473–482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Müller, W., Epplen, J. T. & Lubjuhn, T. (2001): Genetic paternity analyses in Little Owls (Athene noctua): does the high rate of paternal care select against extra-pair young? J. Ornithol. 142: 195–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mulder, R. A., Dunn, P. O., Cockburn, A., Lazenby-Cohen, K. A. & Howell, M. J. (1994): Helpers liberate female fairy-wrens from constraints on extra-pair mate choice. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 255: 223–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagle, L. & Kreutzer, M. (1997): Song tutoring influences female song preferences in domesticated canaries. Behaviour 134: 89–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrie, M., Doums, C. & Moller, A. P. (1998): The degree of extra-pair paternity increases with genetic variability. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95: 9390–9395.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Petrie, M. & Kempenaers, B. (1998): Extra-pair paternity in birds: explaining variation between species and populations. Trends Ecol. Evol. 13: 52–58.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pinxten, R., Hanotte, O., Eens, M., Verheyen, R. F., Dhondt, A. A. & Burke, T. (1993): Extra-pair paternity and intraspecific brood parasitism in the European starling,Sturnus vulgaris: evidence from DNA fingerprinting. Anim. Behav. 45: 795–809.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quillfeldt, P., Schmoll, T., Peter, H. U., Epplen, J. T. & Lubjuhn T., (2001): Genetic monogamy in Wilson’s storm-petrel. Auk 118: 242–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. E & Maniatis, T. (1989): Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual. Cold Spring Harbor.

  • Seutin, G., White, B. N. & Boag, P. T. (1991): Preservation of avian blood and tissue samples for DNA analyses. Can. J. Zool. 69: 82–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Slagsvold, T. & Lifjeld, J. T. (1997): Incomplete female knowledge of male quality may explain variation in extra-pair paternity in birds. Behaviour 134: 353–371.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stutchbury, B. J. & Morton, E. S. (1995): The effect of breeding synchrony on extra-pair mating systems in songbirds. Behaviour 132: 675–690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swatschek, L., Ristow, D., Scharlau, W., Wink, C. & Wink, M. (1993): Populationsgenetik beim Eleonorenfalken (Falco eleonorae). J. Ornithol. 134: 137–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verhulst, S. & van Eck, H. M. (1996): Gene flow and immigration rate in an island population of great tits. J. Evol. Biol. 9: 771–782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voigt, C. & Leitner, S. (1998): Breeding biology of the island canarySerinus canaria (AVES: Fringillidae) on the Desertas island Ilhéu Chão. Bol. Mus. Mun. Funchal 50: 117–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westneat, D. F. (1990): Genetic parentage in the indigo bunting: a study using DNA fingerprinting. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 27: 67–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westneat, D. F. & Sherman, P. W. (1997): Density and extra-pair fertilisations in birds: a comparative analysis. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 41: 205–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westneat, D. F., Sherman, P. W. & Morton, M. L. (1990): The ecology and evolution of extra-pair copulations in birds. Curr. Ornithol. 7: 331–369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetton, J. H., Carter, R. E., Parkin, D. T. & Walters, D. (1987): Demographic study of a wild House Sparrow population by DNA fingerprinting. Nature 327: 147–149.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, D-82319, Seewiesen, Germany

    Cornelia Voigt & Stefan Leitner

  2. Department of Developmental Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Manfred Gahr

Authors
  1. Cornelia Voigt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stefan Leitner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Manfred Gahr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Voigt, C., Leitner, S. & Gahr, M. Mate fidelity in a population of Island Canaries (Serinus canaria) in the Madeiran Archipelago. J Ornithol 144, 86–92 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02465520

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02465520

Keywords

Search

Navigation