Home range overlapping and socio-sexual relationships in the red-backed shrikeLanius collurio

Abstract
Overlap among the home ranges of breeding male red-backed shrikes Lanius collurio in a valley in Southern Alps (Lombardy, Italy) was correlated with the results ol DNA fingerprinting for six family groups. We found one out of 19 young with the paternity different from that assumed on the basis of behavioural observations. In addition, after the fledging of young we observed some cases of shared care of juveniles involving two out of six pairs observed.