Mate choice by female house wrens.

Abstract

This study examined female mate choice in the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). The study was divided into two parts. The first part examined which territory or male traits contribute to female fitness. The second part examined whether females mate non-randomly with respect to those traits. Female fitness (nesting success, number of fledglings, nestling weight) was not related to any territory or male trait. Females mated randomly with respect to all traits except one: they preferred males who arrived early from migration to males who arrived late. However, the date of male arrival was not related to female fitness.