Abstract
The way in which male pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca allocated their incubation feeding efforts to their mates was studied. The overall rate of male incubation feeding was negatively correlated with the ambient temperature and positively correlated with the physical condition of the males. Polygynously mated females received significantly fewer feeds than did monogamously mated females. No difference in the food delivery rates to primary and secondary females was found. The pattern of investment by polygynous males was unrelated to the time-lag between completion of the different clutches and to any difference in clutch size. The reduction in the delivery rate to polygynously mated females had a negative effect on their incubation efficiency, since they spent a greater proportion of the time off the nest and the duration of the incubation period was prolonged compared to that of monogamously mated females. Male feeding behaviour is discussed in relation to the reproductive value represented by the nests and to the costs and benefits of incubation feeding.
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