Kentish plovers Anarhynchus alexandrinus increase parental cooperation in variable environments

, the plovers increased the frequency of heat-dissipating behaviours and switched incubation bouts between pair members more frequently. Wind speed additionally influenced the thermoregulatory behaviour of plovers, likely through convective cooling, thereby allowing longer periods of uniparental incubation. Furthermore, we show that at the same temperature, males exhibited higher nest attendance at the more variable inland site. Because this involvement exceeded that observed at the coastal site under equivalent temperatures, it may provide a safety margin against environmental variability. These findings support the hypothesis that environmental variability contributes to variations in parental cooperation during incubation.