Mate Choice in Double-Breeding Female Great Tits (Parus Major): Good Males or Compatible Males

Simple Summary Double breeding is a common reproductive strategy among temperate passerines to increase annual fecundity. To produce two clutches in the same breeding season and to ensure offspring quality, choosing a good mate is important for females. Uncovering the method used in social mate choice for genetic benefits adopted by double-breeding females would provide a better understanding of the life history and rules of female choice. In the present study, we tested the effects of the date of the first egg of the first brood and of female quality on double breeding, and good genes and genetic compatibility hypotheses on mate choice for double breeding female great tits (Parus major) in a population breeding inside nest boxes of Zuojia Natural Reserve in northeast China. The date of the first egg of the first brood did not affect initiation of a second brood, and female individual heterozygosity slightly influenced initiation of a second breeding. Female great tits choose males with both compatible genes and good genes in double-breeding mating. Double-breeding females prefer males with large breast stripes, high heterozygosity, and lower relatedness. The number of offspring of the first clutch did not affect the pairing status of male great tits in double breeding. The genetic quality of offspring from double-breeding pairs was higher than that of those from single-breeding pairs (higher heterozygosity and lower individual F). Producing two broods within the same season may be a good strategy by which short-lived species can maximize reproductive success. To produce two clutches in the same breeding season and to ensure offspring quality, choosing a good mate is important for females. Previous studies on double breeding focused on the associated influencing factors, and few studies examined how females choose social mates. Good genes and genetic compatibility are the two main hypotheses of the genetic benefit that females obtain from choosing mates. Uncovering the method used in mate choice for genetic benefits adopted by double-breeding females would provide a better understanding of the life history and rules of female choice. The great tit is an optionally double-breeding species in temperate-latitude populations. Here, we used a dataset for a Chinese population monitored between 2014 and 2016 to test two hypotheses on double-breeding female mate choice. A total of 30.1% of the breeding pairs initiated second breeding attempts, always remating with the same mate. The date of the first egg of the first brood did not affect initiation of a second brood, and female individual heterozygosity slightly influenced initiation of a second breeding. Female great tits choose males with both compatible genes and good genes in double-breeding mating. Double-breeding females prefer males with large breast stripes, high heterozygosity, and lower relatedness, while tarsus length, repertoire size, and individual F are not the main factors considered by females when selecting males for double breeding. The number of offspring of the first clutch did not affect the pairing status of male great tits in double breeding. The genetic quality of offspring from double-breeding pairs was higher than that of those from single-breeding pairs (higher heterozygosity and lower individual F). Taken together, our results showed that double breeding female great tits adopt multiple methods for genetic benefits to choose mates.

Automated summary

Female great tits engaging in double breeding choose mates with both genetic compatibility and good genes, preferring males with large breast stripes, high heterozygosity, and lower relatedness. The genetic quality of offspring from double-breeding pairs is higher than that of those from single-breeding pairs.