Task division in a facultative cooperative breeder bird: do males take out the trash?

What is it about?

Social animals participate in different activities during reproduction. Cleaning the nest is an important task that may impact reproductive success. Despite that, little is known about the relative participation of individuals of social groups. We investigated if sex and social status of group members influence the removal of fecal material from nests of a social woodpecker. We observed that male helpers (e.g. non-breeding individuals) are mainly responsible for this activity. Specific costs and benefits related to sociality may influence the investment in nest sanitation.

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