Song repertoires of Harris' sparrows (Zonotrichia querula)

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 1867-1874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott A. Shackleton ◽  
Laurene Ratcliffe ◽  
Andrew G. Horn ◽  
Christopher T. Naugler
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Ratio ◽  
Individual Recognition ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Absolute Frequency ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Song Repertoires

The songs of 34 male Harris' sparrows were recorded at Churchill, Manitoba. The songs are composed of one to three whistled notes, all at the same frequency. Individuals sing from one to three song types, each at a discrete frequency. Males are very accurate at returning to the same frequency, both within a bout and between days. Individuals seem to structure their repertoire on the basis of the frequency ratio between types, rather than on the absolute frequency of each type. Males responded to playback of a 3-kHz song with the song in their repertoire that was closest to it in frequency. We suggest that the frequency ratio between song types may be species specific, whereas the absolute frequency of song types may facilitate individual recognition. This species has been previously described as having only a single song type. Our study and other recent work suggest that there is no sharp distinction in the wild between bird species with single and multisong repertoires.

scholarly journals Dawn singing behavior of a tropical bird species, the Pied Bush Chat Saxicola caprata

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinaya Kumar Sethi ◽  
Dinesh Bhatt ◽  
Amit Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Sequential Pattern ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Singing Behavior ◽  
Dawn Song ◽  
Song Types

This paper aims to study the structure and pattern of dawn song in a tropical avian species, the Pied Bush Chat (Saxicola caprata) in Haridwar (290 55’ N, 780 08’ E; Uttarakhand, India) in 2009. Males delivered complex dawn chorus on daily basis during only breeding season (February to July). The dawn song bout was made up of a number of distinct sections called song types. Each song type consisted of a series of similar or dissimilar units referred to as elements. Song type length averaged 1.43±0.23 sec and did not differ significantly among males. Theaverage number and types of elements in a song type were observed 8.15±1.64 and 8.01±1.56, respectively.In more than 80% of observations, song types were delivered with immediate variety and males did not follow any definite sequential pattern of song delivery. Males sang continuously for about 30 min at high rates during dawn. Males performed continuous dawn singing throughout the breeding season and seemed to interact vocally through counter-singing for extended period. Observations suggest that dawn song delivery in Pied Bush Chat plays an important role in maintenance and adjustment of social relationship among neighbouring males.

scholarly journals Discovery of an acoustically locating parasitoid with a potential role in divergence of song types among sympatric populations of the bush cricket Mecopoda elongata

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-186
Author(s):  
Rochishnu Dutta ◽  
Manjunatha Reddy ◽  
Tom Tregenza
Keyword(s):  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Sympatric Populations ◽  
Intraspecific Divergence ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Chemical Profiles ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Bush Cricket

The bush cricket Mecopoda elongata provides a striking example of sympatric intraspecific divergence in mating signals. Five completely distinct song types are found in various parapatric and sympatric locations in South India. While there is convincing evidence that population divergence in M. elongata is being maintained as a result of divergence in acoustic signals, cuticular chemical profiles, and genital characters, the causes of the evolution of such divergence in the first place are unknown. We describe the discovery of a tachinid parasitoid with an orthopteroid hearing mechanism affecting M. elongata. This parasitoid may have a role in driving the extraordinary divergence that had occurred among M. elongata song types. Over two years we sampled individuals of three sympatric song types in the wild and retained individuals in captivity to reveal rates of parasitization. We found that all three song types were infected with the parasitoid but that there were significant differences among song types in their probability of being infected. The probability of tachinid parasitization also differed between the two sampling periods. Therefore, it is possible that parasitoid infection plays a role in song type divergence among sympatric bush cricket populations.

scholarly journals Self-care tooling innovation in a disabled kea (Nestor notabilis)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amalia P. M. Bastos ◽  
Kata Horváth ◽  
Jonathan L. Webb ◽  
Patrick M. Wood ◽  
Alex H. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Specific Behaviour ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

AbstractTooling is associated with complex cognitive abilities, occurring most regularly in large-brained mammals and birds. Among birds, self-care tooling is seemingly rare in the wild, despite several anecdotal reports of this behaviour in captive parrots. Here, we show that Bruce, a disabled parrot lacking his top mandible, deliberately uses pebbles to preen himself. Evidence for this behaviour comes from five lines of evidence: (i) in over 90% of instances where Bruce picked up a pebble, he then used it to preen; (ii) in 95% of instances where Bruce dropped a pebble, he retrieved this pebble, or replaced it, in order to resume preening; (iii) Bruce selected pebbles of a specific size for preening rather than randomly sampling available pebbles in his environment; (iv) no other kea in his environment used pebbles for preening; and (v) when other individuals did interact with stones, they used stones of different sizes to those Bruce preened with. Our study provides novel and empirical evidence for deliberate self-care tooling in a bird species where tooling is not a species-specific behaviour. It also supports claims that tooling can be innovated based on ecological necessity by species with sufficiently domain-general cognition.

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 How to be a great dad: Parental care in a flock of greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camillo Sandri ◽  
Vittoria Vallarin ◽  
Carolina Sammarini ◽  
Barbara Regaiolli ◽  
Alessandra Piccirillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Controlled Environment ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Nest Protection ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Greater Flamingos

The zoo-science literature on flamingos, and avian species in general, is lacking. However, this kind of research is important to improve the knowledge on these species and to improve their ex-situ and in-situ conservation. The aims of the present study were to assess the welfare of a captive colony of greater flamingo hosted at Parco Natura Viva, an Italian zoological garden, through ethological parameters and to improve the knowledge on this species in zoological gardens. In particular, the present study investigated and compared the parental care of females and males in 35 breeding pairs of greater flamingos. For each pair, we collected data on the parental care behaviour of both females and males, recording their position in relation to the nest (near the nest, on the nest, away from the nest) and the behavioural category that was performed. The main results were that males spent more time than females on the nest and near it and were more aggressive toward other flamingos. Therefore, male flamingos seem to be more involved in incubation duties and nest protection than females. Greater flamingos of this study performed species-specific behaviours. Both parents were involved in parental care and displayed all the activities reported in the wild. Therefore, the study flock of greater flamingos seems to be in a good welfare. This kind of research is important not only to expand the knowledge on bird species such as flamingos, but also to improve their husbandry and breeding in controlled environment.

scholarly journals How to be a great dad: Parental care in a flock of greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camillo Sandri ◽  
Vittoria Vallarin ◽  
Carolina Sammarini ◽  
Barbara Regaiolli ◽  
Alessandra Piccirillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Care ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Controlled Environment ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Nest Protection ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Greater Flamingos

The zoo-science literature on flamingos, and avian species in general, is lacking. However, this kind of research is important to improve the knowledge on these species and to improve their ex-situ and in-situ conservation. The aims of the present study were to assess the welfare of a captive colony of greater flamingo hosted at Parco Natura Viva, an Italian zoological garden, through ethological parameters and to improve the knowledge on this species in zoological gardens. In particular, the present study investigated and compared the parental care of females and males in 35 breeding pairs of greater flamingos. For each pair, we collected data on the parental care behaviour of both females and males, recording their position in relation to the nest (near the nest, on the nest, away from the nest) and the behavioural category that was performed. The main results were that males spent more time than females on the nest and near it and were more aggressive toward other flamingos. Therefore, male flamingos seem to be more involved in incubation duties and nest protection than females. Greater flamingos of this study performed species-specific behaviours. Both parents were involved in parental care and displayed all the activities reported in the wild. Therefore, the study flock of greater flamingos seems to be in a good welfare. This kind of research is important not only to expand the knowledge on bird species such as flamingos, but also to improve their husbandry and breeding in controlled environment.

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.

scholarly journals When the sun never sets: diverse activity rhythms under continuous daylight in free-living arctic-breeding birds

2013 ◽  
Vol 280 (1764) ◽  
pp. 20131016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silke S. Steiger ◽  
Mihai Valcu ◽  
Kamiel Spoelstra ◽  
Barbara Helm ◽  
Martin Wikelski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Daily Activity ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Continuous Darkness ◽  
Activity Rhythms ◽  
Running Activity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Free Running ◽  
Activity Cycles ◽  
Species Specific

Circadian clocks are centrally involved in the regulation of daily behavioural and physiological processes. These clocks are synchronized to the 24 h day by external cues ( Zeitgeber ), the most important of which is the light–dark cycle. In polar environments, however, the strength of the Zeitgeber is greatly reduced around the summer and winter solstices (continuous daylight or continuous darkness). How animals time their behaviour under such conditions has rarely been studied in the wild. Using a radio-telemetry-based system, we investigated daily activity rhythms under continuous daylight in Barrow, Alaska, throughout the breeding season in four bird species that differ in mating system and parental behaviour. We found substantial diversity in daily activity rhythms depending on species, sex and breeding stage. Individuals exhibited either robust, entrained 24 h activity cycles, were continuously active (arrhythmic) or showed ‘free-running’ activity cycles. In semipalmated sandpipers, a shorebird with biparental incubation, we show that the free-running rhythm is synchronized between pair mates. The diversity of diel time-keeping under continuous daylight emphasizes the plasticity of the circadian system, and the importance of the social and life-history context. Our results support the idea that circadian behaviour can be adaptively modified to enable species-specific time-keeping under polar conditions.

scholarly journals Universal Features in the Singing of Birds Uncovered by Comparative Research

Our Nature ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haimanti Bhattacharya ◽  
J. Cirillo ◽  
D. Todt
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Syllable Repetition ◽  
Luscinia Megarhynchos ◽  
The Common ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Thrush Nightingale ◽  
Song Repertoires

Aside from some exceptions, songbird species differ in the structure of their singing and usually also in the size and performance mode their song repertoires. In the past, most studies concentrated on the species specific differences of singing, and thereby contributed to a better understanding of their diversity. In our approach, however, we focussed on the opposite perspective; i.e. we investigated whether and how far songbirds share structural song properties. To have a solid data base we focussed on four species of thrushes which were famous for their large vocal repertoires. The two Asian bird species were Oriental Magpie Robins (Copsychus saularis) and Shama Thrushes (Copsychus malabaricus), the two European species the Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) and the Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia). The latter were incorporated into a sample 40 other European songbird species (Table 1) serving as a framework for our comparative approach (Figure 2, 4). Besides well-known differences among species, our analyses of song material yielded some remarkably similar relationships between structural and functional song properties, which often were shared even by unrelated species. In particular measures of song durations were usually related to song application during vocal interaction. And, individual variation of song duration was mainly a result of differences in syllable repetition within trilled song sections. Although some of these findings were predicted already by former studies (see Todt, 2004), their essentials can be based now on profound data sets of detailed measurement.Keywords: European Thrushes, Asian Thrushes, Copsychus saularis, C. malabaricus, song structure, signal lengths.doi: 10.3126/on.v6i1.1648Our Nature (2008)6:1-14

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