Universities
Summary
The term adoption is widely used to describe care of young by unrelated adults. However, only a few studies have quantified the amount of care provided when replacement males feed young, and the effects of this care. Twenty-five male eastern bluebirds, Sialia sialis, were captured and held in captivity to study the response of replacement males to young already present in the nest and the extent of parental care exhibited when replacement males feed young. Replacement male eastern bluebirds did not fully adopt unrelated young.
Methodology
Control and experimental groups during incubation, banded females near end of incubation