Males less choosy than females when it comes to companions

Male zebra finches show less preference for their neighbours when looking for a mate, whereas females are more species specific.

Research from The University of Auckland, funded through a Marsden grant, studied the social behaviours of zebra finches. Male zebra finches, when given a choice between same species or other related finch species, did not show social discrimination. In contrast, female zebra finches consistently chose to spend more time next to male zebra finches over males of other species. However, behavioural displays of song and calling confirmed that males are able to tell females of their own and foreign species apart.

The research, undertaken by PhD student Dana Campbell, BSc (Hons) student Rachael Shaw, and Associate Professor Mark Hauber of the School of Biological Sciences, is published in the latest issues of the journals Ethology and Behavioural Processes.

“By studying the mate choice of zebra finches, which form life long monogamous pairs, we can see that male birds are far less particular about the species of their mate than females,” says Ms Campbell. “These results confirm expectations of Darwinian theory and may have an impact on zebra finches in the wild, where they often live and breed in mixed species flocks in their natural habitat in Australia. It may also have implications for aviary practices, as the genetic pool may become mixed with inter-species breeding.”