PARENTAGE ANALYSES IN 3 PIED FLYCATCHER ( FICEDULA-HYPOLEUCA) BROODS CONTAINING 9 NESTLINGS

In Pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) unusually large clutches cont aining nine eggs were found regularly. Two alternative hypotheses may explain this phenomenon: Either a single female has produced such an u nusually large clutch alone or two females paired with a monoterritori al bigyneous male have laid in sum nine eggs. Here we report about our results obtained by DNA fingerprint analyses of three Pied flycatcher broods containing nine nestlings. For two broods it is evidenced that a single female was the genetic mother of all nine nestlings. Iii the third instance one nestling was riot related to either adult that car ed for the young. It is argued that this single case is probably nor d ue to intraspecific brood parasitism.