Effects of body mass on courtship, pairing, and reproduction in captive mallards
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The object of this study was to examine the influence of body mass, a measure of nutrient reserves, on the breeding biology of captive mallards. Low body mass delayed initiation of courtship and pairing, and decreased the number of permanent pair bonds formed. However, pairing date was not correlated with laying date. Low body mass during winter had a greater influence on laying date than low body mass during spring, but neither affected clutch size. This suggests that an individual arriving on the breeding grounds with low body reserves relative to others will have a lower reproductive output that year.
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2018 ◽
Vol 285
(1882)
◽
pp. 20180261
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2020 ◽
Vol 129
(4)
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pp. 875-887
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