title: Extra-pair paternity in the socially monogamous white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is fairly common and independent of local density.
abstract: Although many birds are socially monogamous, most (>75%) studied species are not strictly genetically monogamous, especially under high breeding density. We used molecular tools to reevaluate the reproductive strategy of the socially monogamous white stork (Ciconia ciconia) and examined local density effects. DNA samples of nestlings (Germany, Spain) were genotyped and assigned relationships using a two-program maximum likelihood classification. Relationships were successfully classified in 79.2% of German (n = 120) and 84.8% of Spanish (n = 59) nests. For each population respectively, 76.8% (n = 73) and 66.0% (n = 33) of nests contained only full-siblings, 10.5% (n = 10) and 18.0% (n = 9) had half-siblings (at least one nestling with a different parent), 3.2% (n = 3) and 10.0% (n = 5) had unrelated nestlings (at least two nestlings, each with different parents), and 9.5% (n = 9) and 6.0% (n = 3) had "not full-siblings" (could not differentiate between latter two cases). These deviations from strict monogamy place the white stork in the 59(th) percentile for extra-pair paternity among studied bird species. Although high breeding density generally increases extra-pair paternity, we found no significant association with this species' mating strategies. Thus although genetic monogamy is indeed prominent in the white stork, extra-pair paternity is fairly common compared to other bird species and cannot be explained by breeding density.
authors.affiliation: Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Sondra Feldman
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Turjeman
authors.affiliation: Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel.|Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering, University Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Centeno-Cuadros
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Eggers
authors.affiliation: Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Shay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rotics
authors.affiliation: Estación Biológica de Doñana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/Américo Vespucio, 41092 Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blas
authors.affiliation: Deptartment of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany 78315.|Deptartment of Biology, University of Konstanz, D-78468 Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fiedler
authors.affiliation: Vogelschutzwarte Storchenhof Loburg e.V., Chausseestr, 18, D-39279 Loburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaatz
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 2, 14469 Potsdam, Germany.|Berlin-Brandenburg, Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), D-14195 Berlin, Germany.|ZALF, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Str. 84, D-15374, Müncheberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jeltsch
authors.affiliation: Deptartment of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany 78315.|Deptartment of Biology, University of Konstanz, D-78468 Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wikelski
authors.affiliation: Movement Ecology Laboratory, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nathan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000235:genetics; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D010334:Paternity; D012098:Reproduction; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D013030:Spain