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Mate Choice in Captive American Kestrels, Falco sparverius , Parasitized by a Nematode, Trichinella pseudospiralis
Author(s) -
Henderson Derin,
Bird David M.,
Rau Manfred E.,
Negro Juan J.
Publication year - 1995
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.1439-0310.1995.tb00350.x
Subject(s) - kestrel , biology , mate choice , zoology , courtship , nest (protein structural motif) , predation , nematode , seasonal breeder , courtship display , ecology , mating , biochemistry
The American kestrel (Falco sparverius) — Trichinella pseudospiralis host‐parasite association was used as a laboratory model to study the effect of a nematode infection on (1) mate choice of female kestrels and (2) competitive abilities of male kestrels during the breeding season. Females were given the opportunity to choose between infected and uninfected males. There was no significant difference in the proportion of females that chose uninfected (n = 18) over infected (n = 16) males. Eight of 11 competitions between infected and uninfected males exposed to a caged female and a nest box were dominated by uninfected males. Female kestrels seemed to base their choices on the intensity of display effort by the males; the experimental level of infection did not affect male courtship behaviour. Although T. pseudospiralis is known to debilitate American kestrels, parasitized males in mate‐choice tests may have diverted energy from less important functions to court the females.