Documentation of a Polygynous Gray Catbird

摘要

Polygyny occasionally occurs in passerine species that are generally socially monogamous. We document the second case of polygynous mating in the Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) and provide the first detailed account of this behavior. Daily provisioning rates of the polygynous male documented this male provisioned one nest more than the other (5.9 +- 2.2 trips/hr vs. 1.7 +- 1.1 trips/hr). The difference between the male's provisioning rates diminished when standardized for the number of chicks per nest. Polygyny appears to be an alternative mating strategy for the Gray Catbird in certain situations.