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Structural equation modeling analysis elucidates the pathways through which parent birds optimize their reproductive success
  • +6
  • Ningning Sun,
  • Bi-Yun Jia,
  • Rongyu Xu,
  • Lifang Gao,
  • Xuefei Guo,
  • Rang Li,
  • Yujie Wang,
  • Shumin Wang,
  • Bo Du
Ningning Sun
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Bi-Yun Jia
Lanzhou University
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Lifang Gao
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Xuefei Guo
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Yujie Wang
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Shumin Wang
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Bo Du
School of Life Science

Corresponding Author:dubo@lzu.edu.cn

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Abstract

Avian reproductive strategies exhibit remarkable plasticity in various scenarios, posing challenges in determining the optimal pathway through which parents enhance their reproductive success. we addressed this question by employing structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis in a long-term field survey for the azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyanus), which had accumulated datasets for multiple reproductive components, including extra-pair fertilization (EPF), hatching failure, nest predation by predators and conspecific raiders, and offspring starvation. Our initial findings revealed a significant variation of these additional reproductive components with the nest’s reproductive initiation time (RIT). Subsequently, SEM analysis was conducted to investigate the interplay among female and male breeding conditions, cooperative breeding, nest RIT, and individual reproductive success. The results from our SEM analysis suggest that both sexes predominantly rely on conventional reproductive pathways – females tend to favor early RIT while males prefer forming social partnerships with higher-quality females – instead of adopting alternative reproductive strategies to enhance their reproductive success. Furthermore, considering intra-sexual variations in breeding conditions observed in both sexes, our findings also indicate that early RIT may be adaptive for experienced females and those males pairing with higher-quality females; whereas delayed RIT is advantageous for inexperienced females and males with a higher probability of acquiring EPF. Overall, our study demonstrates how integrating various aspects of avian reproduction through multivariate analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of avian reproductive success rather than focusing solely on a single strategy.