Male Quality and Female Choice of Mate in the Red‐Winged Blackbird (Agelaius Phoeniceus)

Abstract

Male Red—winged Blackbird pairing success was studied to determine the role of male quality in female choice of territory and mate. Data on date of first nest, harem size, and proportion of territorial males surviving to subsequent breeding seasons did not support the hypothesis that territory quality alone determines female choice of mate. Male reproductive experience and body size were significantly positively correlated with harem size, but correlations between male age and harem size, and male courtship intensity and harem size, appeared to occur because females preferred territories defended by experienced males. There was no evidence that male aggressiveness tendencies influenced female choice of mate. Although these data indicate that females were influenced by male characteristics, it is suggested that a complex interaction of male and territory quality determines female choice of mate in the Red—winged Blackbird.