cooperative breeding

Cooperative breeding occurs when more than two individuals contribute to the care of young within a single brood. This behavior is found in birds, mammals, amphibians, fish, insects, and arachnids; however, cooperative breeding is generally rare because it requires parental care, which is itself an…

…also been invoked to explain cooperative breeding in animals such as birds and the adoption of orphaned young by asocial red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). In certain bird species, such as the Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) and the groove-billed ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris), some individuals