TIMING AND SYNCHRONY OF BIRTHS IN ROE DEER

We examined timing and synchrony of births in a highly productive population of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) during 5 consecutive years. Neither among-year differences in average date of fawning nor among-year differences in the dispersion of births occurred. Births were synchronized in all years; 80% of births took place in <30 days. Moreover, the sex-ratio of fawns was not related to timing or synchrony of births. We postulate that highly synchronous births are a consequence of selection against late fawning because of the short time separating fawning and rut in roe deer.