Ball G F, Silver R
J Comp Psychol. 1983 Sep;97(3):213-25.
Ring dove parents share in incubation and brooding such that the male sits for a block of time toward the middle of the day and the female sits the rest of the time. In order to evaluate the role of the sexes in determining nest exchange, approaches to the nest, the timing of incubation behavior, and the topography of interactions at the nest site were continuously monitored. Most nest exchanges (87%) were initiated by the nonsitting mate. There was less variability associated with the onset of sitting by the female than by the male. The male entered the nest area repeatedly from the time of lights-on until nest exchange several hours later. In contrast, the female rarely entered the nest area when the male was sitting, and when she did approach, nest exchange usually ensued. When the male's entrances to the nest area were prevented until the usual time of nest exchange, the timing of the subsequent sitting bout and nest exchange was not altered, which indicates that male visits are not a necessary prerequisite for nest exchange. Each pair developed a cooperative interaction as incubation progressed. When mates were exchanged among physiologically synchronized pairs, a serious disruption of sitting resulted. It is concluded that behavioral synchrony between the mates in the form of each pair's bond is as necessary as physiological synchrony in maintaining intermate cooperation in parental behavior of ring doves.
环颈鸠父母共同参与孵化和育雏，雄鸟在中午时段坐巢一段时间，其余时间由雌鸟坐巢。为了评估性别在决定巢位交换、接近巢穴的方式、孵化行为的时间以及巢穴处互动的地形方面所起的作用，对这些方面进行了持续监测。大多数巢位交换（87%）由不坐巢的配偶发起。与雄鸟相比，雌鸟开始坐巢的时间变化较小。从开灯时刻起，雄鸟会反复进入巢区，直到数小时后的巢位交换。相反，当雄鸟坐巢时，雌鸟很少进入巢区，而当她靠近时，通常就会发生巢位交换。当雄鸟进入巢区的行为在通常的巢位交换时间之前被阻止时，随后的坐巢时段和巢位交换时间并未改变，这表明雄鸟的到访并非巢位交换的必要前提。随着孵化的进行，每对亲鸟都发展出一种合作互动。当在生理同步的配对间交换配偶时，坐巢行为会受到严重干扰。研究得出结论，在环颈鸠的亲代行为中，配偶间以配对关系形式存在的行为同步与生理同步对于维持配偶间的合作同样必要。
