Abstract
Abstract Many socially monogamous birds have been shown to be genetically polygamous, and such behavior can be enhanced in captivity. We verified the monogamous behavior of pigeons (Columba livia) in a captive population using DNA fingerprinting with multilocus minisatellite (Jeffreys') probes. No extra pair offspring were detected when 25 chicks from unique matings were analyzed. Two potentially extra-pair offspring were detected among 43 chicks from matings of socially established pairs produced during a two-year period. That the social pair bond remained unbroken throughout the two years of our study was confirmed by molecular analysis of offspring from sequential matings.
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