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Social Organization of North Island Brown Kiwi: Long‐term Pairs and Three Types of Male Spacing Behaviour
Author(s) -
Taborsky Barbara,
Taborsky Michael
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
ethology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0179-1613
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1991.tb00292.x
Subject(s) - demography , kiwi , mating system , mating , population , reproduction , seasonal breeder , biology , geography , ecology , zoology , sociology
We observed 51 kiwi by radiotracking for an average period of 2.3 months each, in Waitangi State Forest, New Zealand. Spacing data for more than one reproductive season are available from 27 individuals, with intervals of up to six years for some of them. Females have a high potential for polyandry, especially in the Waitangi population with a male‐biased sex ratio of 1.4: 1. However, behavioural evidence suggests a monogamous mating system with long‐term pair bonds. Pair members tend to stay close to each other and nearly all observed social interactions were between them. We show that there are three types of male spacing behaviour, which are related to the pairing status. A surplus of fully grown males (22.1% in 1986, 37.3% in 1987) remained unpaired. About half of these bachelor males maintained territories, which were twice the size of paired males' territories. This probably serves to recruit mates. The other half of unpaired males used huge home ranges of six times the size of paired males' territories, overlapping several territories of conspecifics. We have no evidence that these floaters take part in reproduction.