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Sexual selection and spring arrival times of red-necked and Wilson's phalaropes

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Summary

Seasonal changes in sex ratios during a 4-year study of red-necked phalaropes and a 3-year study of Wilson's phalaropes showed that females preceded males to breeding and/or courtship areas. The degree to which females preceded males may have been constrained by harsh weather, as the arrival of red-necked phalaropes was synchronous in 1983, when spring was unusually late. Neither sex defended territories; females competed vigorously for direct access to males. These findings show that selection for sexually asynchronous arrival need not act through territoriality. We interpret early female arrival as an adaptation for obtaining mates and coclude that sexual selection may be an important determinant of arrival times in mate defense social systems.

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Author notes

  1. John D. Reynolds

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, V5A 1S6, Burnaby, B.C., Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Queen's University, K7L 3N6, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    John D. Reynolds & Fred Cooke

  2. Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, University Station, Box 8238, 58202, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA

    Mark A. Colwell

Authors
  1. John D. Reynolds
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  2. Mark A. Colwell
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  3. Fred Cooke
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Reynolds, J.D., Colwell, M.A. & Cooke, F. Sexual selection and spring arrival times of red-necked and Wilson's phalaropes. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 18, 303–310 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300008

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300008

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