Contrasting patterns of geographical song variation in two closely related passerine species with a simple song

Abstract Background Parental investment by birds is limited by the habitat environment, and a male parent increases its effort to reproduce in birds that live in high-altitude areas. Methods A study of the reproductive behaviour of the Saxaul Sparrow (Passer ammodendri) and the Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus) was carried out at the Gansu An’xi Extremely Arid Desert National Nature Reserve in northwest China to determine the reproductive input of passerine species in desert habitats. Results In Saxaul Sparrows, compared to the female parent, the male parent exhibited a significantly higher frequency of nest-defense behaviour (chirping and warning) during nesting, hatching and feeding periods. In addition, in comparison to the female parent, the male parent exhibited almost equal frequencies of nesting and incubation but fed nestlings significantly more times. Similar to the male sparrows, the feeding rates of the male Isabelline Shrikes were significantly higher than those of the females. The hatching rate and fledging rate of the Saxaul Sparrow on average in this study were 81.99 and 91.92%, respectively, while those of the shrike were 69.00 and 96.53%, respectively. Conclusions These two different passerine species living in the same desert environment exhibited the same trend in their reproductive investments. Adapting to desert environments is a strategy that may have evolved in passerines where male parent birds put more effort than females into reproduction to ensure high reproductive output.

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A desert songbird with no confamilials in the Western Hemisphere (Verdin, Auriparus flaviceps) investigates divergent conspecific songs

The Auk ◽

10.1093/ornithology/ukab032 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Emma I Greig ◽

Eva Kinnebrew ◽

Max L Witynski ◽

Eric C Larsen

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

Geographic Variation ◽

Playback Experiment ◽

Western Hemisphere ◽

Monotypic Genus ◽

Vocal Responses ◽

Song Variation ◽

Desert Regions ◽

Close Relatives

Abstract Most birds that show geographic variation in their songs discriminate between local and foreign songs, which may help them avoid unnecessary conflicts with vagrant individuals or similar-sounding congeners. However, some species respond equally to foreign and local songs, which may be useful if foreign individuals present territorial threats or if there are no sympatric congeners to avoid. Species without sympatric congeners are not commonly tested in playback studies, but they offer an opportunity to see how song variation and recognition unfolds when the pressure to avoid similar congeners is absent. Here, we use Verdins (Auriparus flaviceps), a monotypic genus of songbird with no confamilials in North America, to explore song variation and recognition in a species living without close relatives. We assessed geographic variation in song across the Verdin range and conducted a playback experiment using exemplars from 2 acoustically divergent and geographically distant regions as treatments. We found significant geographic variation in song that mapped well onto ecologically distinct desert regions. We found that Verdins had stronger vocal responses to local-sounding songs, but had equal movement responses to local-sounding and foreign songs. These results are similar to results found in other species without sympatric congeners and provide an example of a species that investigates acoustically divergent conspecific songs, despite recognizing salient differences in those songs.

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Differences in Depredation by Small Predators Limit the Use of Plasticine and Zebra Finch Eggs in Artificial-Nest Studies

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/103.1.180 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 103 (1) ◽

pp. 180-183 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Thomas J. Maier ◽

Richard M. Degraaf

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Zebra Finch ◽

House Sparrow ◽

Peromyscus Leucopus ◽

Passer Domesticus ◽

Field Studies ◽

Taeniopygia Guttata ◽

Artificial Nest ◽

Neotropical Migrant ◽

Passerine Species

Abstract Small mammals, such as mice and voles, have been implicated as major egg predators of Neotropical migrant passerines by field studies using soft plasticine eggs or the very small eggs of Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata). Nevertheless, the effort required to depredate these commonly used egg surrogates may be less than that required to depredate the larger, thicker-shelled eggs of most passerine species. To compare the depredation of these surrogates to that of the eggs of a mid-sized passerine by a ubiquitous small predator, we exposed dissimilar pairs of plasticine, Zebra Finch, and House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) eggs to captive white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus). Plasticine eggs were marked by mice more than either kind of real egg, and Zebra Finch eggs were breached more often than House Sparrow eggs. We conclude that the use of either plasticine or Zebra Finch eggs may lead to overestimation of the ability or proclivity of small mammals to actually depredate the eggs of most passerines.

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Recurrence of some palaearctic migrant passerine species in West Africa

Ringing & Migration ◽

10.1080/03078698.2000.9674224 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 29-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Volker Salewski ◽

Franz Bairlein ◽

Bernd Leisler

Keyword(s):

West Africa ◽

Passerine Species

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GEOGRAPHIC SONG VARIATION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES IN THE GOLDEN BOWERBIRD

The Condor ◽

10.1650/0010-5422(2002)104[0750:gsvaic]2.0.co;2 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 104 (4) ◽

pp. 750 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

David A. Westcott ◽

Frederieke J. Kroon

Keyword(s):

Song Variation

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Geographic isolation drives divergence of uncorrelated genetic and song variation in the Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush ( Catharus frantzii ; Aves: Turdidae)

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution ◽

10.1016/j.ympev.2015.08.017 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 94 ◽

pp. 74-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Marco F. Ortiz-Ramírez ◽

Michael J. Andersen ◽

Alejandro Zaldívar-Riverón ◽

Juan Francisco Ornelas ◽

Adolfo G. Navarro-Sigüenza

Keyword(s):

Geographic Isolation ◽

Song Variation

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Nepal’s National Red List of Birds

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.2855.9.1.9700-9722 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 9700 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Carol Inskipp ◽

Hem Sagar Baral ◽

Tim Inskipp ◽

Ambika Prasad Khatiwada ◽

Monsoon Pokharel Khatiwada ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Endangered Species ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Bird Species ◽

Convention On Biological Diversity ◽

Wetland Birds ◽

Distribution Maps ◽

Critically Endangered Species ◽

Passerine Species ◽

Over Exploitation

The main objectives of the Nepal National Bird Red Data Book were to provide comprehensive and up-to-date accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels, identify threats to all bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. It is hoped that the Bird RDB will help Nepal achieve the Convention on Biological Diversity target of preventing the extinction of known threatened species and improving their conservation status. As population changes of Nepal’s birds have been studied for only a few species, assessments of species’ national status were mainly made by assessing changes in distribution. Species distribution maps were produced for all of Nepal’s bird species except vagrants and compared to maps that were produced in 1991 using the same mapping system. Of the 878 bird species recorded, 168 species (19%) were assessed as nationally threatened. These comprise 68 (40%) Critically Endangered species, 38 (23%) Endangered species and 62 (37%) Vulnerable species. A total of 62 species was considered Near Threatened and 22 species Data Deficient. Over 55% of the threatened birds are lowland grassland specialists, 25% are wetland birds and 24% tropical and sub-tropical broadleaved forest birds. Larger birds appear to be more threatened than smaller birds with 98 (25%) non-passerine species threatened and 67 (14%) passerine species. Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation are the most important threats. Other threats include chemical poisoning, over-exploitation, climate change, hydropower, invasive species, intensification of agriculture, disturbance, and limited conservation measures and research. Measures to address these threats are described. It was also concluded that re-assessments of the status of certain bird groups carried out every five years and the setting up of a national online system for storing and reporting bird sightings would be useful.

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