Changes in paternal relative to maternal care either seasonally or over the nest cycle may reflect conflicting reproductive strategies between the sexes or may enhance re- productive success in the presence of sex-specific, physiological constraints. To determine whether nest attendance by males relative to females changed seasonally or with stage of the nest cycle, 107 nests of the California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) were monitored over the 1994 and 1995 breeding seasons, and the sex of the attending adult was noted during each visit.
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