Open AccessCooperative breeding behaviors in the Hawaiian Stilt ( Himantopus mexicanus knudseni )
Author(s) -
DibbenYoung Arleone,
Harmon Kristen C.,
LunowLuke Arianna,
Idle Jessica L.,
Christensen Dain L.,
Price Melissa R.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.7509
Subject(s) - endangered species , subspecies , biology , biological dispersal , ecology , population , reproduction , charadriiformes , zoology , demography , habitat , sociology
Cooperative breeding, which is commonly characterized by nonbreeding individuals that assist others with reproduction, is common in avian species. However, few accounts have been reported in Charadriiformes, particularly island‐nesting species. We present incidental observations of cooperative breeding behaviors in the Hawaiian Stilt ( Himantopus mexicanus knudseni ), an endangered subspecies of the Black‐necked Stilt ( Himantopus mexicanus ), during the 2012–2020 nesting seasons on the Hawaiian islands of O‘ahu and Moloka‘i. We describe two different behaviors that are indicative of cooperative breeding: (a) egg incubation by multiple adults; (b) helpers‐at‐the‐nest, whereby juveniles delay dispersal and reproduction to assist parents and siblings with reproduction. These observations are the first published accounts of cooperative breeding in this subspecies and merit further investigation, as cooperative breeding may improve population viability of the endangered, endemic Hawaiian Stilt.