2025/10/02 by Oliwia Karpińska, Aleksandra Gwiazdowska, Katarzyna Kamionka‐Kanclerska +2 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Bioenergy crop production and management #Botany and Plant Ecology Studies #Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
paper · doi:10.1080/00063657.2025.2561122
Capsule The European Robin is a common Eurasian bird but little is known about its extra-pair paternity (EPP), mainly due to its secretive behaviour during the breeding season, but we found a low frequency of EPP in natural forest.Aims To reveal the level of EPP among European Robins in natural forest conditions.Methods The study was conducted in 2018–2019 during the European Robin’s breeding season in the Białowieża National Park (north-eastern Poland). Genetic material was obtained from 70 European Robin families. Genotypes of social parents were compared with those of nestlings to assess the occurrence of EPP and identify extra-pair males. To analyse the EPP frequency, microsatellite genotyping was used.Results We found evidence of EPP in 5.7% of nests, with 5.1% of nestlings being the offspring of extra-pair males.Conclusions The European Robin showed a low frequency of EPP under natural forest conditions, in contrast to results from studies of many other socially monogamous passerines.