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.
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“The elephant, not only the largest but the most intelligent of animals, provides us with an excellent example. It is faithful and tenderly loving to the female of its choice, mating only every third year and then for no more than five days, and so secretly as never to be seen, until, on the sixth day, it appears and goes at once to wash its whole body in the river, unwilling to return to the herd until thus purified. Such good and modest habits are an example to husband and wife.”
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