Genetic relatedness in Monk Parakeet breeding trios

ENRIQUE HUGO BUCHER; JUAN JOSÉ MARTÍNEZ; MARÍA CARLA DE ARANZAMENDI

JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY

Springer

Año: 2016 vol. 157 p. 1119 - 1122

Helping in the cooperative breeder Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) consists of one adult helping the breeding pair (trios). We found a breeding trio composed of two males and one female in a single breeding chamber of a two-chamber compound nest. Males were full siblings. The female was half sibling of both males. The female and one male were genetic parents of all nestlings. The sampled parakeet population showed a higher than expected level of inbreeding. The Monk Parakeet provides an interesting model for the understanding of the role and benefits of helping and extra parental behavior in cooperative breeding birds.