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social life of the bank swallow, Lipton and Barash state:

For about four days immediately prior to egg-laying, when copulations lead to fertilization, the male bank swallow is very busy, attentively guarding his female. Before this time, as well as after--that is, when her eggs are not ripe, and again after his genes are safely tucked away inside the shells--he goes seeking extra-pair copulations with the mates of other males...who, of course, are busy with defensive mate-guarding of their own.

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