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[Andrew Taylor <>]

On Sun, May 18, 2008 at 05:59:24PM +1000, Belinda Cassidy wrote:
> People project too much.  Guys who are misogynists,  sleep around, or have
> issues with pornography addiction are totally into the idea that male birds
> can't be faithful. But the facts show us that many birds are faithful for
> life. Lets not sully that with your own personal issues, thankyou.

Before paternity testing was possible it was believed pair-fidelity was
the case for almost all passerines.  Genetic data has reversed his view
completely.  A significant degree of extra-pair paternity is the norm
in passerines and at the extreme offspring fathered by extra-pair males
may be in the majority.  There are certainly species where extra-pair
paternity is rare but our view of bird reproductive ecology has been
completed changed by data that has become available in recent years -
not projection.

Andrew