Social Facilitation of Egg‐Laying In Experimental Colonies of a Weaverbird
1973
Victoria, J. K. | Collias, N. E.
Different—sized experimental colonies of African Village Weaverbirds (Ploceus cucullatus cucullatus) were observed in large outdoor aviaries over a period of 4 years. At the height of the breeding season there was little social facilitation of egg—laying, with most females apparently laying clutches at or near a maximum rate regardless of the colony size, as long as there was no shortage of nests. The number of nests available appeared to limit egg—laying more than did number of males present. However, an increase in colony size stimulated the females to visit male territories and the nests included within them at an increased rate and also tended to reduce the females' clutch replacement interval. Social facilitation appears to exert its strongest effect at the onset and the close of the breeding season. At the beginning of the season, the start of egg—laying depended upon the start of male nest—building, but birds in a large colony began breeding sooner than in a small one. Crowding the birds at the end of the season resulted in a definite resurgence of egg—laying activity, the amount of which depended upon how late in the season the birds were crowded.
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