ABS 2024
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Latitudes of care: Investigating sex-based differential investments in a socially monogamous bird
Agnes F Francila, Vinita Gowda. Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

Biparental care (BPC) improves offspring survival in altricial species but decreases mating opportunities for males. Despite extensive research, our understanding of the mechanisms maintaining BPC remains limited, especially in the tropics. We aim to fill this gap by looking at the sex-based differences in care using Passer domesticus as a study system. Our study was conducted across two distinct geographic regions with varying seasonality. Lower seasonality in the tropics provides favourable year-round breeding conditions compared to subtropical regions where breeding is discrete. We quantified the male contribution relative to females towards nest construction, incubation, nest guarding and food provisioning via manual and camera observations. Our results show significant sex differences, with females contributing more to all activities except nest guarding. Females from the tropics showed higher food provisioning rates in response to reduced male investment compared to their subtropical counterparts. This study highlights the variability of parental care investments across geography and contributes to our understanding of the complex interplay between behaviour and environment.