Vigilance and food intake rate in paired and solitary Zenaida Doves Zenaida aurita

We quantified vigilance during feeding in the Zenaida Dove Zenaida aurita, a tropical species with stable pair-bonds and year-round territoriality. Both males and females decreased the proportion of time spent vigilant by 30% when feeding with their partner compared with when feeding alone. This reduction was achieved through increasing the length of inter-scan duration, while scan duration remained constant. No evidence was found for coordination of vigilance between pair members. The equal investment in vigilance by male and female Zenaida Doves might be related to the mutual benefits of long-term pair-bonding.