Reproductive success and survival of widowed Willow Ptarmigan hens

Abstract

The significance of male parental care and decoy behaviour for breeding success and survival of females was studied for Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus l. lagopus. Clutch predation and proportion of hens killed by predators after hatch did not differ for hens with and without male assistance, but widows suffered higher predation during incubation, had higher total predation, and produced fewer chicks than control hens. Only some of these differences were, however, statistically significant. The differing results between this and earlier studies might be explained by variation in male importance both between years and in differing environmental conditions, as e.g . changes in intraspesific competition and predator pressure .