Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor‐Tailed Flycatcher (T. forficatus) Hybrid
ABSTRACT Nest sharing by birds, or the phenomenon where multiple individuals of different species contribute genetically and parentally to offspring in a single nest, is a rare form of cooperative breeding that has only occasionally been reported in socially monogamous birds. Here we describe, both...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70818 |
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| author | Alexander J. Worm Emily R. Donahue Than J. Boves Andrew D. Sweet |
| author_facet | Alexander J. Worm Emily R. Donahue Than J. Boves Andrew D. Sweet |
| author_sort | Alexander J. Worm |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Nest sharing by birds, or the phenomenon where multiple individuals of different species contribute genetically and parentally to offspring in a single nest, is a rare form of cooperative breeding that has only occasionally been reported in socially monogamous birds. Here we describe, both behaviorally and genetically, the unique case of two female birds, a western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) and a western kingbird × scissor‐tailed flycatcher (T. forficatus) hybrid, simultaneously occupying (and likely co‐incubating eggs in) a single nest. Both females provisioned nestlings, and they did this in two consecutive years (producing four fledglings each year). Genomic data from the females revealed that they were unrelated, and parentage analyses revealed that both females contributed genetically to at least one of the offspring, and at least two fathers were involved. These observations represent the first reported case of nest sharing involving a hybrid individual and the first case within the family Tyrannidae. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cb2943d924514c4eb1f4ec35cf1fc428 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-cb2943d924514c4eb1f4ec35cf1fc4282025-01-29T05:08:41ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-01-01151n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70818Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor‐Tailed Flycatcher (T. forficatus) HybridAlexander J. Worm0Emily R. Donahue1Than J. Boves2Andrew D. Sweet3Department of Biological Sciences Arkansas State University Jonesboro Arkansas USADepartment of Biological Sciences Arkansas State University Jonesboro Arkansas USADepartment of Biological Sciences Arkansas State University Jonesboro Arkansas USADepartment of Biological Sciences Arkansas State University Jonesboro Arkansas USAABSTRACT Nest sharing by birds, or the phenomenon where multiple individuals of different species contribute genetically and parentally to offspring in a single nest, is a rare form of cooperative breeding that has only occasionally been reported in socially monogamous birds. Here we describe, both behaviorally and genetically, the unique case of two female birds, a western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) and a western kingbird × scissor‐tailed flycatcher (T. forficatus) hybrid, simultaneously occupying (and likely co‐incubating eggs in) a single nest. Both females provisioned nestlings, and they did this in two consecutive years (producing four fledglings each year). Genomic data from the females revealed that they were unrelated, and parentage analyses revealed that both females contributed genetically to at least one of the offspring, and at least two fathers were involved. These observations represent the first reported case of nest sharing involving a hybrid individual and the first case within the family Tyrannidae.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70818avian reproductioncooperative breedinghybridizationpaternity analysisSNPswhole‐genome |
| spellingShingle | Alexander J. Worm Emily R. Donahue Than J. Boves Andrew D. Sweet Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor‐Tailed Flycatcher (T. forficatus) Hybrid Ecology and Evolution avian reproduction cooperative breeding hybridization paternity analysis SNPs whole‐genome |
| title | Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor‐Tailed Flycatcher (T. forficatus) Hybrid |
| title_full | Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor‐Tailed Flycatcher (T. forficatus) Hybrid |
| title_fullStr | Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor‐Tailed Flycatcher (T. forficatus) Hybrid |
| title_full_unstemmed | Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor‐Tailed Flycatcher (T. forficatus) Hybrid |
| title_short | Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor‐Tailed Flycatcher (T. forficatus) Hybrid |
| title_sort | repeated successful nest sharing and cooperation between western kingbirds tyrannus verticalis and a female western kingbird scissor tailed flycatcher t forficatus hybrid |
| topic | avian reproduction cooperative breeding hybridization paternity analysis SNPs whole‐genome |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70818 |
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