Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.beproc.2006.09.008
Title (Primary) Non-defendable resources affect peafowl lek organization: a male removal experiment
Author Loyau, A.; Saint Jalme, M.; Sorci, G.
Source Titel Behavioural Processes
Year 2007
Department NSF
Volume 74
Issue 1
Page From 64
Page To 70
Language englisch
Keywords hotspot; hotshot; female preference; display site intrusion
Abstract A lekking mating system is typically thought to be non-resource based with male providing nothing to females but genes. However, males are thought to clump their display sites on areas where they are more likely to encounter females, which may depend on non-defendable resource location. We tested this hypothesis on a feral population of peacocks. In agreement, we found that, within the lek, display site proximity to food resources had an effect on female visitation rate and male mating success. The attractiveness of display sites to male intruders was explained by the distance to the feeding place and by the female visitation rate. We randomly removed 29 territorial males from their display sites. Display sites that were more attractive to male intruders before removal remained highly attractive after removal and display sites closer to the feeding area attracted the attention of intruders significantly more after removal. Similarly, display sites that were more visited by females before removal remained more visited after removal, suggesting again that the likelihood of encountering females is determined by the display site location. Overall, these results are in agreement with non-defendable resources affecting lek spatial organization in the peafowl.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=2032
Loyau, A., Saint Jalme, M., Sorci, G. (2007):
Non-defendable resources affect peafowl lek organization: a male removal experiment
Behav. Processes 74 (1), 64 - 70 10.1016/j.beproc.2006.09.008