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Acorn woodpeckers are cooperative breeders, living and breeding in family groups of up to 15 individuals. Field studies have shown that within the same population, groups range from monogamous pairs to polygynandrous breeding collectives consisting of coalitions of up to 8 males and 4 females, along with nonbreeding " helpers at the nest " that ...
Acorn woodpeckers provide substantial information on breeding systems because they practice monogamy, polyandry, and polygyny. In polyandry the presence of more male breeders in acorn woodpeckers has shown that females reproduce the optimal clutch size and that with paternity sharing between males it is behaviorally more stable increasing male ...
Four apostlebirds (Struthidea cinerea) of a cooperative breeding group.Helpers at the nest is a term used in behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology to describe a social structure in which juveniles and sexually mature adolescents of either one or both sexes remain in association with their parents and help them raise subsequent broods or litters, instead of dispersing and beginning to ...
Some species such as the acorn woodpecker and the yellow-tufted woodpecker are sociable, foraging in groups, communicating vocally and nesting communally. These have complex breeding systems including some non-breeding adult helpers assisting in rearing the young.
In cooperative simultaneous polyandry, multiple males mate with a single female and a clutch of mixed eggs (belonging to multiple males) is cared for by the whole group. Species that exhibit this behavior include certain types of Acorn woodpeckers and Harris's hawks.
The acorn woodpecker showed that when in a group of 7–8 individuals, the success rate of reproduction increased, but would decrease if more members joined the group. [10] When there were two females in the clutch the success rate would decrease compared to a single-female clutch due to conflicts such as egg tossing. [10]
Acorns are rich in vitamins, nutrients and minerals that help to support heart, bone and muscle health, as well as energy, metabolism and brain function, according to Best. They're also beneficial ...
Destroying eggs such that only one female's eggs survive is documented in cooperatively breeding birds such as acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus). About 25% of acorn woodpecker groups contain two or more joint-nesting females that cooperate to raise young, but cooperative female destroy each other's eggs prior to laying their own.