<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mate guarding in the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor): Timing and duration pattern in intermediate breeding pairs</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">FOLIA ZOOLOGICA</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">1997</style></year></dates><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">INST VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY</style></publisher><pub-location><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">KVETNA 8, BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC 603 65</style></pub-location><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">46</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">125-134</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mate guarding behaviour in the spotless starling Sturnus unicolor, a&lt;br/&gt;colonially breeding passerine was observed in five focal pairs of a&lt;br/&gt;nestbox colony in a Spanish `'dehesa'' (extensive pastured helm oak&lt;br/&gt;wood) in 1993. Daily observations were performed since the day of pair&lt;br/&gt;formation. Escorting behaviour began 4 days prior to laying and declined&lt;br/&gt;sharply between the 2 and 3 days of the laying period. Males followed&lt;br/&gt;their females more than the reverse, and spent more than 90% of time in&lt;br/&gt;the colony with the female during her fertile period. When escorting the&lt;br/&gt;females, males actively chased off other males to prevent them&lt;br/&gt;appproaching their mate. While males escorted females during fertile&lt;br/&gt;period up to 100% of times when they left colony, females came back to&lt;br/&gt;colony without their mate nearly 30% of times, showing that females&lt;br/&gt;succeeded in escaping their mate Vigilance when moving outside the&lt;br/&gt;colony. These results suggest that males guard in aim to keep other&lt;br/&gt;males away from their female, but also to keep females from approaching&lt;br/&gt;other males. Most of the observed copulations occurred during the&lt;br/&gt;guarding period. No extra-pair copulations (EPC) were witnessed between&lt;br/&gt;individuals of breeding pairs during the study time. One attempt of EPC&lt;br/&gt;occurred between a male of focal pair and a female of non-focal unstable&lt;br/&gt;pair. Nestbox occupation by unstable pairs and the shortness of time&lt;br/&gt;separating pair formation and laying in intermediate breeding pairs are&lt;br/&gt;discussed.</style></abstract></record></records></xml>