It is a polygynous species, the female choosing the male on the basis of his call.

Fights between males can be common and dangerous in polygynous species (see Geist, 1971).

The factors affecting breeding success in males and females certainly differ widely in polygynous species.

In some polygynous species, however, the male does most or all of the nest building.

This type of Allee effect will likely be more prevalent in monogamous species than polygynous species.

In polygynous species, males compete for control over sexual access to females.

In polygynous species, where one male controls sexual access to females, the testes tend to be small.

Testosterone also appears more in polygynous species than in monogamous species.

Size often decides these battles, so males tend to be considerably larger than females in polygynous species.

Typical of polygynous species, male red-collared widowbirds do not provide parental care.