Division of parental care and reproductive success in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata ).

Variation in reproductive success among pairs of Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata ), bred in captivity under time- rather than energy-limited conditions, arose primarily because of differences in number of clutches per reproductive bout. Division of parental care between mates during the time-constrained incubation phase, rather than the fledging phase, affected their fitness and future behavior. Pairs where the males assumed a greater fraction of the pooled incubation time were more likely to breed together again than pairs where males did not share in this activity as equally. In addition, males remated with familiar mates increased their time investment in incubation.