MICROGEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN CORN BUNTING (MILIARIA CALANDRA) SONG: QUANTITATIVE AND DISCRIMINATION ASPECTS

Behaviour ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 137 (9) ◽  
pp. 1241-1255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter McGregor ◽  
José Tavares ◽  
Claire Latruffe ◽  
Paulo Gama Mota
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Cross Correlation ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Interesting Aspect ◽  
Mosaic Pattern ◽  
Song Dialects ◽  
Qualitative Classification ◽  
Microgeographic Variation ◽  
Song Types

AbstractGeographic variation in bird song that is described as local song dialects refers to a mosaic pattern of distribution of songs in a population within the dispersal capacities of the species. Corn buntings (Miliaria calandra) in the region of Alentejo, Portugal, show such local dialects. However, an interesting aspect of this population is that song types are restricted to sub - groups of males within each dialect rather than all males singing all song types as in other populations. After describing the pattern of song type variation qualitatively (i.e. classifying spectrograms by eye), we used cross - correlation of spectrograms in quantitative comparisons. This confirmed the qualitative classification of songs into song type categories and showed a tendency for neighbouring males to have most similar songs. Males did not respond significantly more or less strongly to playback of different song types; however males clearly discriminated between different song types in a habituation paradigm.

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.

Song Types in a Population of Great Tits (Parus Major): Their Distribution, Abundance and Acquisition By Individuals

Behaviour ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 79 (2-4) ◽  
pp. 126-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter K. Mcgregor ◽  
John R. Krebs
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Song Repertoire ◽  
Song Dialects ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Song Acquisition ◽  
Song Types

AbstractThis 6-year study of song acquisition in a marked population of great tits suggests that songs are learned both before and after dispersal, songs are not learned from fathers. The spatial and temporal distribution of songs in the population is also discussed. There is a decline in the proportion of the song repertoire shared with increasing distance from a male, but there is no consistent pattern of song type grouping, some songs are clumped while others are not. Size of repertoire is not related to male age. These results are discussed in relation to laboratory studies of song learning, song dialects and functional hypotheses concerning song learning.

scholarly journals Differences in the whistle characteristics and repertoire of Bottlenose and Spinner Dolphins

2004 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 386-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Bazúa-Durán
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Variation ◽  
Discriminant Function Analysis ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphin ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Constant Frequency ◽  
Spinner Dolphin ◽  
Time Parameters ◽  
Spinner Dolphins

Several methods have been used to compare the whistles produced by dolphins. The two methods used in this study are: (1) a classification of whistle contours in six categories (i.e. constant frequency, upsweep, downsweep, concave, convex, and sine) and (2) the extraction of frequency and time parameters from each whistle contour. Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus whistles are described in the same way when comparing whistle contour distributions in each of the six categories and whistle frequency and time parameters using Discriminant Function Analysis. For Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris whistles, each method describes whistles differently. Several facts may explain these differences in describing dolphin whistles, such as a greater fluidity of Spinner Dolphin groups when compared to Bottlenose Dolphin groups, greater geographic variation in the whistles of Bottlenose Dolphins than in those of Spinner Dolphins, an average beginning frequency 16% lower than the average ending frequency in Spinner Dolphin whistles compared to a varied relationship for Bottlenose Dolphins, and stricter criteria used to define whistle contour categories in the study of Spinner Dolphin whistles than in the Bottlenose Dolphin whistle study.

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