Diverse incubation rhythms in a facultatively uniparental shorebird – the Northern Lapwing

Incubation by both parents is the most common form of care for eggs. Although the involvement of the two parents may vary dramatically between and within pairs, as well as over the day and breeding season, detailed description of this variation (especially in species with variable male contribution to incubation) is rare. Here, we continuously video-monitored 113 nests of Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus over the breeding season to reveal the diversity of incubation rhythms and parental involvement. We found great between-nest variation in the overall nest attendance (68 –94%; median = 87%) and in how much males incubated (0 – 37%; median = 13%). Notably, the less the males incubated, the lower was the overall nest attendance, even though females partially compensated for the males’ decrease. Overall, incubation rhythms changed little over the season and incubation period. However, as nights shorten with the progressing breeding season, the female longest night incubation bout shortened too. Essentially, nest attendance was highest, incubation bouts longest, exchange gaps shortest and male involvement lowest during the night. Also, males tended to incubate the most after sunrise and before sunset. To conclude, we revealed strong circadian rhythms and remarkable between nest differences in Northern Lapwing incubation (especially in male involvement), yet despite seasonal environmental trends (e.g. increasing temperature) Lapwing incubation rhythms remained relatively stable over the season and incubation period.