Songs and Sexual Responses of Female White-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia Leucophrys) From a Mixed-Dialect Population

Behaviour ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 133 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 173-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ross Lein ◽  
Glen Chilton
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Genetic Isolation ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Dialectal Variation ◽  
Male Song ◽  
Song Dialect ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Song Playback

AbstractSome researchers have suggested that female songbirds mate with males singing local song types in preference to males singing dialects from more distant populations. Such behaviour might promote genetic isolation among dialect populations. We studied captive female white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) from a population in which two song types were equally common, as a model for behaviour at dialect boundaries. Subjects were captured as adults, and the song type of the mate of each was known. Treated with estradiol, females gave sexual displays in response to playback of conspecific male song. As a group, they solicited no more strongly to either local song type, suggesting that males singing either local song type should be able to attract mates. Individuals solicited no more strongly to their mate's song type than to the other local song type. This suggests that strength of response of captive females to song playback may not accurately reflect the behaviour of free-living individuals. Subjects were also treated with testosterone to induce singing. Individuals sang their mates' song type more often than expected by chance. Given that female white-crowned sparrows in this population do not consistently choose mates of one song type, we develop the argument that females learn, for performance, the song type of their first mate. However, the type of song learned for performance appears unlikely to restrict their subsequent mate choice decisions. Our results suggest that female white-crowned sparrows do not base their choice of mates on dialectal variation in male song, and that it is unlikely that mate choice decisions based on song dialect promote the genetic isolation of dialect populations.

scholarly journals The Duet Code of the Female Black-Bellied Wren

The Condor ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (2) ◽  
pp. 326-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Logue
Keyword(s):  
Animal Communication ◽  
Special Kind ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Female Response ◽  
Male Song ◽  
Vocal Responses ◽  
Vocal Signals ◽  
Behavioral Mechanisms ◽  
Song Types

Abstract In many duet-singing songbirds, paired birds combine their song types nonrandomly to form duet songs. Several different behavioral mechanisms could generate nonrandom song type associations in duets. I tested female Black-bellied Wrens (Thryothorus fasciatoventris) for one such mechanism: adherence to a set of rules linking female response songs to male stimulus songs. I call this set of rules a “duet code.” Duets of free-living Black-bellied Wrens were recorded in 2001 and 2002. In 2003 I returned to the same territories and played the male song types from the recorded duets. Females answered male song stimuli as if duetting with the playback speaker. Although the known repertoires of females averaged 8.4 song types, each female sang only a single song type in response to each male song type. Random answering could not account for this pattern, supporting the hypothesis that females abide by duet codes. Females that were still paired with their mates from 2001–2002 answered 100% of their mate's songs with the same song types they had used previously, demonstrating that codes are stable over time. In contrast, females that were new to a territory answered an average of only 18% of their mate's song types with the same song type as the previous female, indicating that duet codes are individually distinctive. Duet participation by female Black-bellied Wrens represents a special kind of animal communication, in which discrete vocal signals consistently elicit discrete vocal responses according to an individually distinctive set of rules.

Testing the function of song-matching in birds: responses of eastern male song sparrows Melospiza melodia to partial song-matching

Behaviour ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 145 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Searcy ◽  
Rindy Anderson ◽  
Stephen Nowicki
Keyword(s):  
Average Distance ◽  
Aggressive Response ◽  
Melospiza Melodia ◽  
Song Sparrow ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Eastern Population ◽  
Partial Matching ◽  
Male Song ◽  
Song Sparrows ◽  
Song Types

AbstractSong-matching has been hypothesized to be a signal of aggressive intentions whereby matching an opponent signals that the singer is likely to attack. Theory predicts that an aggressive signal should impose a cost that enforces the signal's reliability. A receiver-dependent cost imposed by the matched bird's aggressive retaliation has been proposed for song-matching. We tested for such a cost for partial song-matching in an eastern population of song sparrows where males lack the shared song types necessary for song type matching, but can perform partial song-matching using shared song segments. We tested aggressive response, as measured by average distance to a playback speaker, to partial-matching songs and non-matching songs. We predicted a stronger aggressive response to partial-matching songs, as has been shown for whole song-matching in western song sparrow populations. The birds in our study responded no differently to partial-matching and non-matching songs. Neither the distance to the playback speaker nor singing responses differed between playback treatments. Our results do not support a receiver-dependent cost to partial song-matching, as would be expected if partial-matching is a direct threat. Instead, we suggest that partial song-matching functions as a signal of attention.

Song and plumage phenotypes in a contact zone between subspecies of the White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (12) ◽  
pp. 2625-2629 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ross Lein ◽  
Kendall W. Corbin
Keyword(s):  
Contact Zone ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Apparent Difference ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Young Males ◽  
Male Song ◽  
Genetic History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Accurate Indicator

We examined the transitions in a plumage character (lore color) and a learned behavioral character (song pattern) across a 400 -km intergrade zone between two subspecies of the White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) in southwestern Alberta. The proportion of birds with black lores, characteristic of Z. l. oriantha, shifted gradually from over 80% in southernmost localities to less than 20% at the northern end of the zone, where most individuals had grey lores, characteristic of Z. l. gambelii. The song pattern of males also showed a complete transition across the zone, but the change was significantly more abrupt than for lore color, occurring over 50–100 km in the center of the intergrade zone. We suggest that this apparent difference in degree of introgression between the two characters may result either from differential dispersal of males and females or from switches in the song patterns of young males that immigrate into populations in which a different song type predominates. Our findings indicate that male song pattern may not be an accurate indicator of the genetic history of populations in this species.

AUDITORY EXPERIENCE DOES NOT SHAPE SEXUAL PREFERENCES FOR SONGS IN FEMALE NORTHERN CARDINALS

Behaviour ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayako Yamaguchi
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Memory Trace ◽  
Vocal Learning ◽  
First Year ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Vocal Performance ◽  
Vocal Production ◽  
Auditory Experience ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Northern Cardinals

AbstractBird song is typically used by males to attract females. As a consequence of the vocal learning process, the acoustic morphology of male songs shows marked geographic variation. Whether females use variation in male songs to choose mates has been controversial (reviewed by Catchpole & Slater, 1995). In some species, the song types that females produce when treated hormonally have been considered to be the song types they prefer in the context of mate choice. To examine this notion, I investigated the song type preferences of female northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) using a more direct measure, copulation solicitation display. Unlike females of many other species of songbirds in the Temperate zone, female cardinals naturally develop songs by imitating adults just as males do, allowing direct identification of when and what song types are memorized by females for vocal production. I sought to determine if the memory trace formed for vocal performance is identical with the memory trace that guides song type preference in a sexual context, and whether females truly form any song type preference based on auditory experience during the first year of their lives. To address these questions, audio-video playback experiments were carried out on captive-raised adult cardinals whose complete auditory history was known. The results showed that female cardinals did not come to prefer any song type based on experience; they responded equally to all conspecific song types. Thus, memory formed for vocal production in females is not equal to song type preferred in sexual context. The results suggest that variation in song types is not important for mate choice in cardinals.

Song matching in western meadowlarks

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 2520-2524 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Bruce Falls
Keyword(s):  
Response Latency ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Response Strength ◽  
Chance Level ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Exchange Of Information ◽  
Neighbor Recognition ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Sturnella Neglecta ◽  
Song Playback

Song playback to western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta) at Delta, Manitoba, using recordings of song types that the subjects had in their repertoires, showed that the tendency of males to respond with the same song type (match) depended on the source of the recording. Song-type matching decreased from own to stranger to neighbor recordings (not significantly above the chance level in the latter case). An explanation for these results is offered that combines elements of facilitation and neighbor recognition. Correspondence between response latency and intersong intervals of the responding bird suggested that matching song was entrained by the playback but nonmatching responses were not. This indicates that matching and nonmatching are qualitatively different responses. However, matching and nonmatching responses did not differ with respect to conventional measures of response strength. Matching directs a response to a particular singer and may facilitate one-to-one exchange of information, for example, concerning location of the singers. Comparisons are drawn with parallel studies of great tits (Parus major).

scholarly journals Corticosterone Responses in Wild Birds: The Importance of Rapid Initial Sampling

The Condor ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 104 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Michael Romero ◽  
Robin C. Romero
Keyword(s):  
Stress Responses ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Free Living ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Elapsed Time ◽  
Corticosterone Response ◽  
Calcarius Lapponicus ◽  
Initial Sampling ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys Gambelii

Abstract Corticosterone concentrations in birds usually rise in response to capture and handling, and it is often assumed that this change is predictable. We tested this assumption by leaving Gambel's White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), and Lapland Longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) in nets or traps for 15 min following capture and comparing their corticosterone response over the next 60 min with birds removed immediately. White-crowned Sparrows and House Sparrows left in mist nets for 15 min and then bled had significantly elevated corticosterone concentrations compared to controls that were immediately removed from the net and bled. Corticosterone concentrations over the next 45 min of handling and restraint were similar between groups. In another experiment, White-crowned Sparrows and Lapland Longspurs were captured using seed-baited Potter traps. The corticosterone response of White-crowned Sparrows left in the trap for 15 min did not differ from White-crowned Sparrows removed immediately. Leaving Lapland Longspurs in the trap had no effect in the initial 10 min of handling and restraint, but at 30 and 60 min these birds had significantly lower corticosterone concentrations than longspurs removed immediately from the trap. These data indicate that failing to immediately remove birds from nets or traps can alter the corticosterone response to subsequent stressful stimuli in unpredictable ways. This result emphasizes that the elapsed time from capture is a critical variable in assessing stress responses in free-living birds. Respuestas de los Niveles de Corticosterona en Aves Silvestres: La Importancia de un Muestreo Inicial Inmediato Resumen. Las concentraciones de corticosterona en las aves usualmente aumentan en respuesta a la captura y manipulación, y muchas veces se supone que estos cambios son predecibles. Pusimos a prueba esta suposición reteniendo individuos de las especies Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, Passer domesticus y Calcarius lapponicus en redes o trampas durante los 15 minutos subsecuentes a la captura y comparamos sus respuestas en los niveles de corticosterona durante los siguientes 60 minutos con las de individuos removidos inmediatamente de las trampas y redes. Las muestras de sangre de Z. l. gambelii y P. domesticus que fueron obtenidas después de 15 minutos de retención en las redes tuvieron niveles de corticosterona significativamente más altos que las de los individuos control obtenidas inmediatamente después de la captura. Durante los 45 minutos siguientes de manipulación y captura, las concentraciones de corticosterona fueron similares entre los dos grupos. En otro experimento, Z. l. gambelii y C. lapponicus fueron capturados mediante trampas “Potter” cebadas con semillas. La respuesta en los niveles de corticosterona de Z. l. gambelii no fue diferente entre individuos retenidos en las trampas por 15 minutos e individuos removidos inmediatamente. Para individuos de C. lapponicus retenidos en las trampas no hubo un efecto durante los 10 minutos iniciales de manipulación y captura, pero a los 30 y 60 minutos estas aves tuvieron concentraciones significativamente menores que los individuos removidos inmediatamente. Estos resultados indican que al no remover inmediatamente a las aves de las redes o trampas, las respuestas en los niveles de corticosterona a estímulos estresantes pueden verse alteradas de una manera impredecible. Estos resultados enfatizan que en aves silvestres, el lapso de tiempo desde la captura es una variable crítica en la determinación de las respuestas al estrés.

Geographic Variation in Song of Gambel's White-Crowned Sparrow

Behaviour ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Species Recognition ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Acoustic Features ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Zonotrichia Leucophrys ◽  
Song Recognition ◽  
Song Variation ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Dialect Recognition ◽  
Song Types

AbstractWhite-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) song varies geographically, often forming local 'dialects' in sedentary and short-distance migratory subspecies. In playback experiments males and females can distinguish this variation. Gambel's white-crowned sparrow (Z. L. gambelii) is a long-distance migrant that breeds across subarctic Canada and Alaska. Previous studies identified a wide degree of song variation within local populations of this subspecies. I compared songs recorded in Alaska and Churchill, Manitoba, and found significant differences in acoustic structure. As in other subspecies, the most prominent differences occurred in the terminal trill portion of the song. In a playback experiment to territorial males at Churchill, males gave equivalent strong responses to both Alaska and local gambelii song, significantly weaker responses to mountain white-crowned sparrow (Z. L. oriantha) song, and the weakest responses to heterospecific song. I describe a model of song recognition in which 'dialect recognition' is a component of species recognition. I conclude that as a consequence of differences in the timing of song learning, the subspecies of white-crowned sparrow may differ in the acoustic features that they attend to in song recognition. The diversity of song types at a local level within gambelii populations may interfere with recognizing song differences between populations.

scholarly journals Deceptive vocal duets and multimodal display in a songbird

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1864) ◽  
pp. 20171774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paweł Ręk ◽  
Robert D. Magrath
Keyword(s):  
Group Living ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Reliable Information ◽  
Song Type ◽  
Visual Displays ◽  
Visual Component ◽  
Song Types ◽  
Multimodal Signalling ◽  
Australian Magpie ◽  
Vocal Duets

Many group-living animals cooperatively signal to defend resources, but what stops deceptive signalling to competitors about coalition strength? Cooperative-signalling species include mated pairs of birds that sing duets to defend their territory. Individuals of these species sometimes sing ‘pseudo-duets’ by mimicking their partner's contribution, but it is unknown if these songs are deceptive, or why duets are normally reliable. We studied pseudo-duets in Australian magpie-larks, Grallina cyanoleuca , and tested whether multimodal signalling constrains deception. Magpie-larks give antiphonal duets coordinated with a visual display, with each sex typically choosing a different song type within the duet. Individuals produced pseudo-duets almost exclusively during nesting when partners were apart, but the two song types were used in sequence rather than antiphonally. Strikingly, birds hid and gave no visual displays, implying deceptive suppression of information. Acoustic playbacks showed that pseudo-duets provoked the same response from residents as true duets, regardless of whether they were sequential or antiphonal, and stronger response than that to true duets consisting of a single song type. By contrast, experiments with robot models showed that songs accompanied by movements of two birds prompted stronger responses than songs accompanied by movements of one bird, irrespective of the number of song types or singers. We conclude that magpie-larks used deceptive pseudo-duets when partners were apart, and suppressed the visual display to maintain the subterfuge. We suggest that the visual component of many species' duets provides the most reliable information about the number of signallers and may have evolved to maintain honesty in duet communication.

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