Abstract
Most female birds have only a left ovary and associated oviduct. The entry to the oviduct is on the left side of the urodeum of the cloaca. This arrangement may favor males that mount females from the left during copulation if it results in sperm being placed closer to the opening of the oviduct. Therefore, we predicted a left-sided directional bias of cloacal contacts during House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) copulations. Cloacal contacts from the left outnumbered those from the right 74 to 25 (3:1) during 25 bouts of copulation at 11 House Sparrow nests. While this pattern suggests that a left-sided bias in mounting by males during copulation may be related to the asymmetry of the female reproductive tract, it also might be related to brain lateralization.
Keywords
House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, birds, Aves, copulation, sexual behavior in animals
Disciplines
Behavior and Ethology | Biology | Poultry or Avian Science | Zoology
Original Citation
Nyland, K. B., Lombardo, M. P., & Thorpe, P. A. (2003). Left-sided Directional Bias of Cloacal Contacts During House Sparrow Copulations. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 115(4), 470–473. https://doi.org/10.1676/03-053
ScholarWorks Citation
Nyland, Karen B.; Lombardo, Michael P.; and Thorpe, Patrick A., "Left-sided Directional Bias of Cloacal Contacts During House Sparrow Copulations" (2003). Peer Reviewed Publications. 7.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/biopeerpubs/7
Included in
Behavior and Ethology Commons, Biology Commons, Poultry or Avian Science Commons, Zoology Commons
