European Pied Flycatcher - Mating Systems

Mating Systems

The European pied flycatcher predominately practices a mixed mating system of monogamy and polygyny. Von Haartman specifically described the mating behaviour of the pied flycatcher as successive polygyny. Within the latter system, the males leave their home territory once their primary female lays her first egg. Males then create a second territory, presumably in order to attract a secondary female to breed. Even when they succeed at acquiring a second mate, the males typically return to the first female to exclusively provide for her and her offspring. Alatalo and Lundberg cited Askenmo and Winkel & Winkel stating that males will sometimes care for both mates if the nests of the primary and secondary female are close together. The male may also care for both mates once the offspring of the primary female have fledged. Alatalo and Lundberg also write that the polygyny of the pied flycatcher usually does not exceed two mates. They stated that only two cases of trigyny had been observed.