In lekking species, males cluster on specific areas for display (the leks) and females generally prefer to copulate with males on large aggregations. The maintenance of leks in which only a few males reproduce might be explained if subordinate males gain indirect fitness benefits. By joining a lek on which relatives are displaying, subordinates might attract more females to the lek thereby increasing the mating opportunities o...

In bird species with pair bonds, extra‐pair matings could allow females to choose genetically superior males. This is not needed in lekking species because female choice is not constrained by pairing opportunities. However, polyandry has been reported in most lekking species studied so far. Using 12 microsatellite loci, we determined the paternity of 135 broods of black grouse sampled between 2001 and 2005 (970 hatchlings and...