Male pigeons can assume a larger share of the care for the eggs when food availability decreases, compensating for the longer time that females spend away from the nest in search of food. The conclusion comes from an international study that analyzed the behavior of rock doves in three German cities.
The researchers compared the behavior of pairs under different food availability conditions. In some nests, food was provided, while others were subjected to periods of scarcity.
In normal conditions, males appear to play a smaller role in incubation, staying with the eggs for only about a fifth of the time. Females provide the majority of this care. However, when food was scarce, the males increased the time spent in the nest, while the females were away for longer periods to search for food.
In this way, pairs subjected to scarcity were able to maintain levels of egg care similar to those observed in pairs that had food available.
The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, suggests that the division of parental care is not necessarily fixed and can adjust to environmental conditions. In this case, the behavior of the males appears to compensate for the change in the behavior of the females in the face of lower food availability.
The research specifically analyzed the behavior of pigeons in three cities in Germany, so the results pertain to the conditions observed in these populations.
The authors describe this pattern as an example of asymmetric parental care: although the two parents do not contribute equally under normal conditions, each parent’s contribution can change when circumstances change.
