Birds of a feather flock together, but recent research indicates that strong pair bonds in geese can enhance breeding outcomes. A new study investigated this phenomenon in a group of captive greylag geese by examining the advantages of ideal couple matches.
Birds of a feather flock together, but recent research states that strong pair bonds in geese lead to improved breeding success.
Researchers from the University of Vienna and Flinders University have focused on a group of captive greylag geese to explore the parenting advantages of perfectly matched pairs.
Lauren Common, a PhD student at Flinders University now affiliated with the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre for Behaviour and Cognition in Austria, remarked, “Similar to humans, the personalities of both parents and the matches in their personality traits can affect their effectiveness in parenting.”
“Couples that share similarities in their level of boldness, especially in how they react to risky situations, tend to achieve higher success rates in hatching.”
“This assertive parenting approach leads to consistent and responsive care, ultimately enhancing the survival rates of offspring and their fledgling success.”
In a recent publication in the journal Animal Behaviour, the team examined a group of over 100 habituated greylag geese over three breeding seasons, assessing their reproductive and fledgling success.
Professor Sonia Kleindorfer from the University of Vienna, who established the BirdLab at Flinders University, emphasized the importance of the male and female pair’s cooperation during incubation, highlighting its role in thermal stability and safeguarding against predators.
“In species that exhibit both biparental care and monogamy, factors such as reproductive success and output are not solely determined by individual personalities but also by the behavioral compatibility of the couple.
“Such bonding in greylag geese points to their advanced cognitive skills and social awareness, with individuals consistently displaying variations in traits like boldness, aggressiveness, sociability, and other behaviors.”
Professor Kleindorfer notes that “the concept of animal personality was previously dismissed as a product of human imagination and anthropomorphism.”
“This research contributes to a growing body of evidence showing that animals, including greylag geese, possess stable individual differences in behavior, referred to as personality,” she adds.
“Moreover, personality traits in animals can correlate with successful mating and reproductive outcomes, indicating that these traits might be subject to both natural and sexual selection.”
The research article titled “Effects of assortative mating for personality on reproductive success in Anser anser” (2024) authored by Lauren K Common, Andrew C Katsis, Didone Frigerio, and Sonia Kleindorfer is published in Animal Behaviour.
Acknowledgements: This study was funded by the University of Vienna, the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, and the Cumberland Foundation.
