Dunnock two or three adjacent female territories overlap one male territory, and so polygyny is favored, with the male monopolising several females. Polygynandry also exists, in which two males jointly defend a territory containing several females. Polyandry, though, is the most common mating system of dunnocks found in nature. Depending on the population, males generally have the best reproductive success in polygynous populations, while females have the advantage during polyandry. Studies have illustrated the fluidity of dunnock mating systems. When given food in abundance, female territory size is reduced drastically. Consequently, males can more easily monopolise the females. Thus, the mating
Common Bird Monitoring of India of time, these baseline data will fill a critical gap in the knowledge of these birds' ecologies. In the future, statistical analyses of these data can be utilized for directing conservation efforts and may help to initiate measures to protect these bird species from decline. These data are important for avian biodiversity in India and can be used as an advocacy tool. This program will also help to raise awareness and interest in the public regarding the conservation of common birds. Past examples of species that might have been helped by this kind of program include the critically endangered white-rumped