page_title: Sexual selection in birds
section_title: Mate guarding
hierarchical_section_title: Sexual selection in birds / Mate guarding
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Seychellen-Rohrsaenger - Acrocephalus sechellensis auf Cousin, Seychellen
context_page_description: Sexual selection in birds concerns how birds have evolved a variety of mating behaviors, with the peacock tail being perhaps the most famous example of sexual selection and the Fisherian runaway. Commonly occurring sexual dimorphisms such as size and color differences are energetically costly attributes that signal competitive breeding situations. Many types of avian sexual selection have been identified; intersexual selection, also known as female choice; and intrasexual competition, where individuals of the more abundant sex compete with each other for the privilege to mate. Sexually selected traits often evolve to become more pronounced in competitive breeding situations until the trait begins to limit the individual's fitness. Conflicts between an individual fitness and signaling adaptations ensure that sexually selected ornaments such as plumage coloration and courtship behavior are “honest” traits. Signals must be costly to ensure that only good-quality individuals can present these exaggerated sexual ornaments and behaviors.
context_section_description: Mate guarding is a common defensive post-copulatory behavior in birds. It is a behavior in which males attempt to prevent cuckoldry. Males that exhibit higher levels of mate guarding behavior have a higher chance of paternity following copulation.  One mate guarding method is by following their fertilized female to prevent any extra-pair copulations which could decrease that particular male's chance of paternity. This is not very feasible in most cases due to the inability of the couple to always stay together. Another form of mate guarding which is more common is for the male to increase in-pair copulations by increasing the females store of spermatozoa and further increasing his likelihood of paternity.  Mate guarding is energetically costly and can be adjusted based on the risk of cuckoldry as seen in the Seychelles warbler. Mate guarding behavior is negatively correlated with foraging behavior and body condition. An increase in the number of males in an environment led to a subsequent increase in the mate guarding behavior.   Adaptations of males to overcome mate guarding have also evolved. One of these adaptations being sneaky behavior, or strategies that let males get close to paired females without detection from the other male.
caption: Seychelles warbler
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