Low levels of extra‐pair paternity in the long‐lived colonial Alpine swift Tachymarptis melba

It has been suggested that a high aerial lifestyle makes it difficult for males to limitmating opportunities for their partners. This would explain the particularly high lev-els of extra-pair paternity (EPP) observed in several species of swallows and martins(Hirundinidae, Passeriformes), but EPP in the other bird lineages with a high aeriallifestyle, such as swifts (Apodiformes), is largely unknown. Here, we investigated EPPin the Alpine swift Tachymarptis melba. We found nine cases of EPP in 9 broods outof 214 (4.2%) nestlings and 87 (10.3%) broods analysed with information on fathers.This low incidence of extra-pair paternities is similar to the only estimate reported sofar in Apodiformes (i.e. 4.5% of nestlings in the common swift Apus apus). We suggestthat life-history traits (biparental incubation, long lifespan, and frequent mate reten-tion across years), rather than their aerial lifestyle, may explain the low incidence ofEPP in swifts.