The social behavior of free-living male Tibetan Eared-pheasants (Crossoptilon harmani) is described during their breeding season at a site near Lhasa, Tibet. Four types of male-male interactions were identified. (1) Mate guarding. A male maintained vigilance behavior near his partner. (2) Evading. A male urged the female to avoid other breeding males. (3) Lateral display. A male laterally presented his body to another male and the latter postured submissively. On a few occasions, displaying males escaped alone and dominant males attempted to copulate with mates of these males. (4) Driving. A male violently drove off any males that came too near his mate. These behavioral types emerged as pair members associated in groups in early spring, became extensive as pair bonds intensified, and disappeared with hatching. Paired males occasionally displayed to subadult males, but no display activity was observed between subadult males. These interactions were unidirectional for a group in which all male members were individually identified and revealed a linear dominance hierarchy among the males. I believe that mate-guarding was to detect and evading was to escape the high-ranking males, which potentially obtained (through displaying to lower-ranking males) extra-pair copulations. Advertising quality to impress/intimidate opponents and to attract additional females is likely the underlying reason for male-male display. My observations provide an interesting example of how males behaviorally respond to conflict between gregariousness and maintenance in a socially monogamous mating system.
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1 December 2007
MALE BEHAVIORS OF SOCIALLY MONOGAMOUS TIBETAN EARED-PHEASANTS DURING THE BREEDING SEASON
Xin Lu
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The Wilson Journal of Ornithology
Vol. 119 • No. 4
December 2007
Vol. 119 • No. 4
December 2007