scholarly journals Female happy wrens select songs to cooperate with their mates rather than confront intruders

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 20120863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher N. Templeton ◽  
Alejandro A. Ríos-Chelén ◽  
Esmeralda Quirós-Guerrero ◽  
Nigel I. Mann ◽  
Peter J. B. Slater
Keyword(s):  
Playback Experiment ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Song Repertoires

Vocal duetting occurs in many taxa, but its function remains much-debated. Like species in which only one sex sings, duetting birds can use their song repertoires to signal aggression by singing song types that match those of territorial intruders. However, when pairs do not share specific combinations of songs (duet codes), individuals must choose to signal aggression by matching the same-sex rival, or commitment by replying appropriately to their mate. Here, we examined the song types used by female happy wrens ( Pheugopedius felix ) forced to make this decision in a playback experiment. We temporarily removed the male from the territory and then played songs from two loudspeakers to simulate an intruding female and the removed mate's response, using song types that the pair possessed but did not naturally combine into duets. Females were aggressive towards the female playback speaker, approaching it and overlapping the female playback songs, but nevertheless replied appropriately to their mate's songs instead of type matching the intruding female. This study indicates that females use song overlapping to signal aggression but use their vocal repertoires to create pair-specific duet codes with their mates, suggesting that duetting functions primarily to demonstrate pair commitment.

SONG CLUSTERING BY MEADOWLARKS: IS IT RELATED TO REPERTOIRE SIZE?

Behaviour ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Pca Analysis ◽  
Repertoire Size ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Similar Correlation ◽  
Sturnella Magna ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Song Repertoires

AbstractSome birds with song repertoires sequentially associate (or cluster) songs of different types. That is, certain song types may occur together repeatedly, even on different days. We determined whether clustering of meadowlark songs correlated with repertoire size. We also tested whether clustered songs reflect either their structural similarities, or dissimilarities. Our data were obtained from recordings of free-living individuals of two meadowlark species, eastern, Sturnella magna , and western, S. neglecta . Eastern meadowlarks have approximately 10 times more song types per bird than do westerns. Therefore, if clustering is related to repertoire size, we predicted that there should be (1) proportionately more song clusters in eastern meadowlarks than in westerns, and (2) a similar correlation across individual birds within a species, especially so in easterns, which have a broader range of repertoire sizes. All 14 easterns examined showed clusters whereas only 5 of 11 westerns did so, and the easterns had proportionately more per bird. Many of the same clusters occurred in different recordings of individual easterns. In easterns, the extent of clustering as measured by a PCA analysis correlated strongly with estimated repertoire size. Clustered songs were neither more similar in structure, nor less so, than randomly-paired songs.

Male and female song structure and singing behaviour in the duetting eastern whipbird, Psophodes olivaceus

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Social Partner ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Song Repertoire ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Paired Female ◽  
Song Types

In many tropical bird species, partners combine their songs to form precise duets, of which the function is imperfectly understood. Duet structure and sex differences in vocal strategies may be important indicators of different selective pressures that have led to the evolution and maintenance of these complex acoustic displays. This study examines the singing behaviour of a population of the eastern whipbird, a bird that forms antiphonal duets initiated exclusively by the male. In all, 7% of duets recorded were between a paired female and a male other than her social partner. Males sang more often than females, their songs were longer and moved through a wider frequency range, and they had a larger song repertoire. Females sang two types of song: response songs, used primarily in a duet context, and structurally distinct solo songs, typically used during interactions with other females. Eastern whipbirds lacked unique song types among the repertoires of individual males and females. Males and females combined songs non-randomly to produce specific duets that were shared across the population. Results suggested that song and duet type matching might play an important role in intrasex interactions, such as defence of a territory, or a partner, from same-sex intruders.

scholarly journals Geographic Variation in the Organization of Song Sparrow Repertoires

The Auk ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 936-942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Peters ◽  
William A. Searcy ◽  
Michael D. Beecher ◽  
Stephen Nowicki
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Population Differences ◽  
Repertoire Size ◽  
Song Sparrows ◽  
Geographic Differences ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Mean Similarity ◽  
Song Repertoires

Abstract We asked whether geographic variation exists in the complexity of song repertoires in Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) by quantitatively comparing four measures of repertoire organization across four geographically distant populations: (1) repertoire size (the number of distinct song types), (2) the number of “minimal units of production” per repertoire, (3) mean similarity among variants of the same song type (“within-type” similarity), and (4) mean similarity among song types in a repertoire (“between-type” similarity). We found significant geographic differences among populations in three of these four measures, with mean similarity among song types being the exception. In general, relatively sedentary populations in North Carolina and Washington were more similar to each other than to migratory populations in Pennsylvania and Maine. Contrary to our expectation based on prior interspecific analyses of variation in repertoire complexity, the relatively sedentary populations in our sample had more complex repertoires than did the more migratory populations. The origin and functional significance of population differences in repertoire complexity in this species remain uncertain.

Chaffinch Song Repertoires and the Beau Geste Hypothesis

Behaviour ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 87 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 256-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Dawson ◽  
P.F. Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
Song Type ◽  
Equal Frequency ◽  
Repertoire Size ◽  
Fringilla Coelebs ◽  
Song Rate ◽  
Significant Tendency ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Degree Of Similarity ◽  
Song Repertoires

AbstractThe aim of this investigation was to determine to what extent song repertoires and singing behaviour of chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) evolved as a means by which resident birds deceive intruders into overestimating the density of residents, making the area appear less suitable for settlement. (1) The chaffinches studied did not show a significant tendency to change song posts synchronously any more than would be expected by chance. (2) Approximately 90% of song type/song post changes were asynchronous. (3) Half of the birds did not repeat their song types with equal frequency, nor did they distribute their singing effort evenly over all the song posts. (4) The degree of similarity between song types in the same repertoire and the degree of similarity between song types from different individuals were not found to be significantly different. (5) No correlation between song rate and repertoire size was found, but it was concluded that seasonal biases strongly restricted this facet of the investigation. On the basis of these findings it is concluded that the evolution of repertoires and singing behaviour in chaffinches seems unlikely to have occurred in conformity with the Beau Geste hypothesis.

scholarly journals White-handed gibbons discriminate context-specific song compositions

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9477
Author(s):  
Julie Andrieu ◽  
Samuel G. Penny ◽  
Hélène Bouchet ◽  
Suchinda Malaivijitnond ◽  
Ulrich H. Reichard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Playback Experiment ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Evolutionary Origins ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Predator Behaviour

White-handed gibbons produce loud and acoustically complex songs when interacting with their neighbours or when encountering predators. In both contexts, songs are assembled from a small number of units although their composition differs in context-specific ways. Here, we investigated whether wild gibbons could infer the ‘meaning’ when hearing exemplars recorded in both contexts (i.e. ‘duet songs’ vs. ‘predator songs’). We carried out a playback experiment by which we simulated the presence of a neighbouring group producing either its duet or a predator song in order to compare subjects’ vocal and locomotor responses. When hearing a recording of a duet song, subjects reliably responded with their own duet song, which sometimes elicited further duet songs in adjacent groups. When hearing a recording of a predator song, however, subjects typically remained silent, apart from one of six groups which replied with its own predator song. Moreover, in two of six trials, playbacks of predator songs elicited predator song replies in non-adjacent groups. Finally, all groups showed strong anti-predator behaviour to predator songs but never to duet songs. We concluded that white-handed gibbons discriminated between the two song types and were able to infer meaning from them. We discuss the implications of these findings in light of the current debate on the evolutionary origins of syntax.

Male and female rufous‐and‐white wrens do not match song types with same‐sex rivals during simulated territorial intrusions

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Moser‐Purdy ◽  
Zachary A. Kahn ◽  
Brendan A. Graham ◽  
Daniel J. Mennill
Keyword(s):  
Same Sex ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Song Types

Song dialects as diagnostic characters — acoustic differentiation of the Canary Island Goldcrest subspecies Regulus regulus teneriffae Seebohm 1883 and R. r. ellenthalerae Päckert et al. 2006 (Aves: Passeriformes: Regulidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1325 (1) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARTIN PÄCKERT
Keyword(s):  
Type A ◽  
Song Type ◽  
European Continent ◽  
El Hierro ◽  
La Palma ◽  
Strong Resemblance ◽  
The One ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Song Repertoires ◽  
La Gomera

Acoustic differentiation among Goldcrests (Regulus regulus) from the Canary Islands was investigated by sonagraphic analysis with respect to the recently discovered genetic subdivision of the Canarian populations into a clade from Tenerife and La Gomera (nominate ssp. teneriffae) and a second clade from La Palma and El Hierro (recently described as ssp. ellenthalerae). One common dialect, song type A, was found on all four islands inhabited by Goldcrests and is also present on São Miguel, Azores (ssp. azoricus). This one is composed of a rapid trill introduction followed by an ascending part and a terminal flourish. Further Canarian song types are variations of this dialect, differing in trill elements and composition of the second ascending phrase. A remarkably different dialect was exclusively found in the Anaga Mountains on Tenerife. The rhythmic song pattern of alternating high- and lower-pitched elements shows strong resemblance to the song of European nominate regulus and to other island dialects from the Azores. Local variations of song type A were found on El Hierro and La Palma. Three acoustic clusters can be distinguished by discriminant analysis, one comprising all songs of ssp. ellenthalerae from La Palma and El Hierro and two further teneriffae clusters encompassing songs from La Gomera on the one hand and those from Tenerife on the other. The findings are discussed with respect to the potential evolutionary causes of the different song repertoires on the Canaries, the Azores and the European continent and to the use of acoustic markers for taxonomic diagnosis.

THE SONG REPERTOIRES OF CARDINALS (RICHMONDENA CARDINALIS) AT LONDON, ONTARIO

1965 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 559-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Lemon
Keyword(s):  
The University ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Song Repertoires

Twenty-live cardinals (Richmondena cardinalis) living on the campus of the University of Western Ontario at London, Ontario, had a total repertoire of 14 types of sounds, or syllables, which they used in their songs. The birds sang the syllables in various combinations to form song types, but only 10 song types were commonly used by most birds. These 10 types each consisted of only one or two types of syllables. One bird sang its 10 types in varying amounts. The results were based on tape recordings followed by analysis on a sound spectrograph instrument, or sonagraph, and also based on periods of listening.

Tests of Habituation to Song Repertoires by Carolina Wrens

The Auk ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara S. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Playback Experiments ◽  
Thryothorus Ludovicianus ◽  
Carolina Wren ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Song Repertoires ◽  
Over Time

Abstract In a series of playback experiments with Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus), each with 25-43 song types, I tested the effect of song repertoires on habituation in simulated long-range countersinging between territorial neighbors by playing back songs 75 m or 100 m outside the territorial boundary of each subject. One experiment tested differences in response to six repertoire sizes during 15-min continuous playbacks. A second experiment tested habituation to four different repertoire sizes over 2 h of intermittent playbacks. In both experiments birds sang more in response to playbacks than to controls. The response to playbacks of single song types did not decline over time. The subjects did not respond different to large repertoires compared to single songs, nor did different sizes of repertoires affect the changes in the birds' responses over time. The results provide no evidence for an effect of song repertoires in reducing habituation to neighboring intruders. Species like the Carolina Wren, in which individuals communicate over long distances by repeating the same song, might in fact evolve resistance to habituation to acoustically simple, repeated signals.

scholarly journals Vocal Development is Correlated with an Indicator of Hatching Date in Brown-Headed Cowbirds

The Condor ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 761-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian L. O'Loghlen ◽  
Stephen I. Rothstein
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Molothrus Ater ◽  
New York State ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Hatching Date ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Vocal Development ◽  
Song Acquisition ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Song Repertoires

Abstract The timing and ecological circumstances under which individual songbirds acquire memorized copies of their species-typical songs can vary significantly within a population. Males that hatch later in the breeding season are likely to hear less conspecific song as juveniles than earlier-hatched individuals. In addition, late-hatched males will experience shorter days and decreasing photoperiods during their song acquisition phase, factors known to affect vocal development. We tested the prediction that yearling Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) that hatched earlier the previous season are more advanced in their development of repertoires of local songs than those hatched later. We recorded perched songs from 17 yearling and 20 adult males trapped at two adjacent sites in New York state and found that yearling perched song repertoires were smaller and contained few of the perched song types common to the repertoires of local adults (adult-shared types). As found in previous field studies of cowbirds, yearlings did not alter the content or size of their repertoires during the season. We used underwing juvenal-feather retention as a measure of relative hatching date in a subset of 15 yearlings and found that perched song repertoires of earlier-hatched yearlings contained more local adult-shared types than repertoires of younger, later-hatched birds. We also investigated flight whistles of males from one site and found that only 4 of 10 yearlings produced the flight whistle type typically given by local adults. Evidence linking flight whistle development and the plumage character we used as an indicator of hatching date was inconclusive. Correlación Entre el Desarrollo Vocal y un Indicador de Tiempo de Eclosión en Molothrus ater Resumen. El tiempo y las circunstancias ecológicas bajo las cuales las aves canoras adquieren copias memorizadas de los cantos típicos de su especie pueden variar entre poblaciones. Los machos juveniles que eclosionan tarde en la temporada tienen (1) menor probabilidad de escuchar cantos coespecíficos que los individuos que eclosionan antes y (2) experimentarán días más cortos y una disminución del fotoperiodo durante la fase de adquisición del canto, factores que afectan el desarrollo vocal. Probamos que juveniles de Molothrus ater que eclosionaron tempranamente durante la temporada anterior presentan un mayor avance en el desarrollo de repertorio de cantos locales que aquellos que eclosionaron más tarde. Registramos los cantos de percheo de 17 machos juveniles y de 20 machos adultos capturados en dos sitios adyacentes en el estado de Nueva York. Los repertorios de canto de juveniles fueron menores y contenían sólo unos pocos tipos de canto de percheo típicos de adultos locales (tipos compartidos entre adultos). Los juveniles no cambiaron el contenido ni el tamaño del repertorio durante la temporada. Utilizamos la retención de plumas juveniles bajo el ala como una medida relativa del tiempo de eclosión en un subconjunto de 15 juveniles. Los repertorios de canto de percheo de los juveniles que eclosionaron tempranamente contenían más tipos adultos que los de aves más jóvenes. En machos de uno de los sitios encontramos que sólo 4 de 10 juveniles produjeron el silbido al vuelo típicamente emitido por los adultos locales. La evidencia que conecta el desarrollo del silbido al vuelo y el indicador del plumaje que utilizamos como indicador del tiempo de eclosión no fue conclusiva.

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