The effect of breeding density and male quality on paternity-assurance behaviours in the house sparrow, Passer domesticus

Several factors can influence the risk of cuckoldry through extra-pair paternity for male birds. The number of neighbouring males is thought to affect the chance of females engaging in extra-pair copulations, and species which breed both socially (colonially) and solitarily provide an ideal opportunity to test the effect of close proximity on extra-pair behaviour and paternity guards. In this study, the extent to which male house sparrows, Passer domesticus, used two alternative strategies, namely frequent copulation and mate-guarding, to ensure paternity was investigated. We also examined how males vary the two paternity guards according to their breeding sociality. Pairs at the dense colony started to copulate at a higher rate at the beginning of the fertile period than those of the medium-sized colony and solitary breeding pairs. Male house sparrows appear to fine-tune their strategies according to the breeding density. Both strategies are alternatively used in the weak fertile period but are simultaneously used in the peak fertile period. Our results suggest that males modify their strategy according to their individual abilities: mate-guarding intensity was positively correlated with the black breast badge size.