Variable social organisation and breeding system of a social parrot revealed by genetic analysis
Data files
Sep 15, 2025 version files 34.60 KB
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Figure_2_data.xlsx
10.06 KB
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Figure_2_data2.xlsx
11.13 KB
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Figure_3_data.xlsx
10.92 KB
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README.md
2.49 KB
Abstract
Social organisation and contributions to reproduction vary widely within and between species that breed in groups. Such variation often arises from the process of group formation, which drives patterns of relatedness and hence the degree of social conflict and cooperation between group members. Using field observations and molecular genetics, we investigated breeding behaviour in an urban population of the highly social Monk Parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus, to address two objectives. First, we investigated breeding group frequency, composition and formation, finding that 19% of breeding units were cooperative groups, ranging in size from 3-5 birds, the remainder being pairs (81%). Group composition was variable with multi-male, multi-female and multi-male-female groups. Relatedness in breeding groups also varied with many containing kin, but some groups containing only non-kin. This variation reflected alternative routes to group formation, including offspring retention by pairs, sibling coalitions and aggregation of unrelated individuals. Secondly, we investigated productivity, reproductive investment and patterns of parentage in relation to the size of breeding units. Productivity did not differ significantly between pairs and groups. We detected extra-pair paternity in 27% of broods raised by pairs, and parentage shared among more than two members of most breeding groups, with joint-nesting by females detected in multi-female groups.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.5qfttdzkf
Description of the data and file structure
Pairwise relatedness data (Queller & Goodnight estimates) were obtained to characterise the dyadic relatedness of monk parakeets living in the same social group.
The dataset comprises data for figures in the published paper: (a) pairwise Queller and Goodnight relatedness estimates for dyads of individuals within monk parakeet social groups; (b) mean pairwise Queller and Goodnight relatedness estimates among individuals living in the same social group; (c) pairwise Queller and Good night relatedness estimates among same-sex and opposite-sex individuals living within the same social group.
Files and variables
File: Figure_2_data.xlsx
Description: Mean pairwise relatedness among all individual monk parakeets living in the same social group (n = 22 groups across 2 years).
Variables:
C1 social group identifier;
C2 mean pairwise relatedness within that group (calculated from data in 'Figure_2_data2');
C3 year of data collection (2018 or 2019);
C4 whether any individuals that were unmarked were present in the group (Y - yes, N - no).
File: Figure_2_data2.xlsx
Description: Pairwise relatedness estimates for dyads of individuals living in the same social group (n = 67 dyads across 2 years).
Variables
C1 and C2 Individual identifiers for each dyad living in the same social group;
C3 social group identifier;
C4 pairwise relatedness of the dyad in C1 and C2;
C5 year of data collection (2018 or 2019);
C6 whether any individuals that were unmarked were present in the group (Y - yes, N - no).
File: Figure_3_data.xlsx
Description: Pairwise relatedness estimates for same-sex and opposite-sex dyads of individuals of known sex living in the same social group (n = 57 dyads across 2 years).
Variables
C1 and C2 individual identifiers for each dyad living in the same social group;
C3 pairwise relatedness of the dyad in C1 and C2;
C4 year of data collection (2018 or 2019);
C5 whether any individuals that were unmarked were present in the group (Y - yes, N - no).
C6 sex of bird whose identity is listed in C2
C7 sex of bird whose identity is listed in C1
C8 whether the dyad was composed of same-sex individuals ('Same') or opposite-sex individuals ('Opposite')
Code/software
Excel