Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Kloskowski J. (2003) Offspring desertion in Red-necked Grebes Podiceps grisegena. ARDEA 91 (1): 25-34
In Red-necked Grebes Podiceps grisegena breeding on fish-ponds in SE Poland, mates contributed equal parental effort as long as the young were brooded on the parent's back. Later, when the young were able to swim on their own but still depended on their parents for food (13-35 d after hatching), in 46% of pairs one of the adults deserted the family. Both sexes were involved in offspring desertion (10 females and 6 males in 16 sexed pairs). Duration of post-hatching parental care did not differ between pairs where one parent deserted and pairs where both mates remained with chicks until independence. If a parent deserted, the remaining adult compensated for the absence of the mate by increasing the foraging effort. Time spent caring for young increased with brood size. Broods that hatched later in the season suffered desertion by one parent at an earlier age than those hatched earlier. Deserters did not re-nest within the same season. Benefits associated with an early timing of moult may be the primary reason for the early abandonment of breeding activities


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