THE PRESENCE OF THE MATE AND OF NESTING MATERIAL AS STIMULI FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INCUBATION BEHAVIOR AND FOR GONADOTROPIN SECRETION IN THE RING DOVE (STREPTOPELIA RISORIA)1

Abstract

We have studied the effects of stimuli provided by the presence of a bird of opposite sex, and by the presence of a nest-bowl and nesting material, on the development of readiness to incubate eggs in male and in female ring doves, and on gonadotropin secretion in females. All subjects had previous breeding experience. The results show that the presence of a male in the cage causes the gradual development, over an 8-day period, of readiness to sit on eggs, and that the additional presence of a nest-bowl and nesting material augments this effect, starting on about the 6th day. The presence of the female, and of nesting material, have similar effects on the incubation behavior of the male, except that the effect of nesting material may be seen earlier (about the 4th day) in the male than in the female. Gonadotropin activity in the female, as indicated by oviduct growth and by incidence of ovulation, is stimulated by the presence of a male, and augmented by the presence of nesting material. The occurrence of incubation behavior in females is closely associated with that of ovulation, and a number of lines of evidence suggest that a progestin is implicated in the instigation of this behavior.