?Philandering? ? a mixed mating strategy in the splendid fairy-wren Malurus splendens

Abstract

In a population of the splendid fairy-wren Malurus splendens, we describe 202 intrusions by solitary adult males in full breeding plumage into the territories of conspecifics. Intrusions were not secretive and although silent they involved conspicuous flight above the vegetation and several characteristic display elements, including petal-carrying. Fifteen intrusions were observed in the 2 months before eggs were laid, but the rest occurred during the period of nest-building and egg-laying when the breeding female was presumed to be fertile, and were by males from adjacent territories. A high level of extra-pair fertilization has previously been determined in this species and we interpret many of these intrusions as attempts by males to obtain extra-pair copulations (EPC); we call this activity “philandering”. The costs and benefits of EPC for males and females are discussed and the promiscuous mating strategy of M. splendens is contrasted with the persistent social pairing in stable groups of this long-lived cooperatively breeding species.