Abstract Morph-specific mate choice has been proposed as one of the evolutionary mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance of variation in color polymorphic systems. Coloration usually covaries with other phenotypic traits affecting life history and thus is often used as a criterion for mate choice. Here, we assess whether mating patterns, natal dispersal, and breeding output are phenotype-dependent in the color polymorphic Eleonora’s falcon. We used a long-term dataset of 946 individually ringed adult falcons that included 109 individuals monitored from birth up to recruitment into the breeding population. Overall, patterns of mate choice with regard to coloration were neither assortative nor disassortative. Natal dispersal distance was greater in females but was not associated with coloration. Breeding success was both morph-dependent and context-dependent. Although clutch size was similar in differently colored pairs, differences arose in the number of chicks that fledge. In some years, dark males raised more offspring, regardless of female color morph. Differences in the breeding tactics between male morphs could be associated with intraspecific predation and may thus contribute to the observed differences in breeding output, especially when food availability is low. This suggests that mating patterns may interact with other factors and give rise to the observed higher breeding output of dark males only under certain environmental conditions.

中文翻译：

---

在颜色多态猛禽中，繁殖成功而不是配偶选择取决于表型和环境

摘要 变形特异性配偶选择已被提议作为有助于维持颜色多态系统变异的进化机制之一。颜色通常与影响生活史的其他表型特征共变，因此通常用作配偶选择的标准。在这里，我们评估了交配模式、出生扩散和繁殖输出是否与颜色多态性埃莉奥诺拉猎鹰的表型有关。我们使用了一个包含 946 只单独环斑成年猎鹰的长期数据集，其中包括 109 只从出生到招募到繁殖种群的监测个体。总体而言，关于颜色的配偶选择模式既不分类也不分类。雌性的出生扩散距离更大，但与着色无关。育种成功既依赖于形态，也依赖于环境。尽管不同颜色对的离合器大小相似，但羽化的小鸡数量却有所不同。在某些年份，无论雌性颜色如何，深色雄性都会繁殖出更多的后代。雄性变种之间育种策略的差异可能与种内捕食有关，因此可能导致观察到的育种产量差异，特别是当食物供应量低时。这表明交配模式可能与其他因素相互作用，并且仅在某些环境条件下才会导致观察到的深色雄性繁殖产量更高。不管女性的颜色变形。雄性变种之间育种策略的差异可能与种内捕食有关，因此可能导致观察到的育种产量差异，特别是当食物供应量低时。这表明交配模式可能与其他因素相互作用，并且仅在某些环境条件下才会导致观察到的深色雄性繁殖产量更高。不管女性的颜色变形。雄性变种之间育种策略的差异可能与种内捕食有关，因此可能导致观察到的育种产量差异，特别是当食物供应量低时。这表明交配模式可能与其他因素相互作用，并且仅在某些环境条件下才会导致观察到的深色雄性繁殖产量更高。