Tied to the nest: male black-capped chickadees decrease dawn chorus movement behaviour when their mate is fertile (original) (raw)
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Animal Behaviour, 2011
Variation in the level of competition for mates and territories is likely to influence the behaviour of competitors. The start of the dawn chorus in songbirds is influenced by a variety of internal factors (e.g. circadian rhythms) and external factors (e.g. light levels, social cues). Here we investigate whether the start time of the dawn chorus is influenced by the singing behaviour of conspecific competitors. Using an Acoustic Location System, we recorded the dawn chorus in neighbourhoods of 5e10 blackcapped chickadees, Poecile atricapillus. We used playback to simulate an unfamiliar male performing a dawn song bout within an existing male's territory. Playback began 15 min before the earliest song sung by any male on the preceding day. Focal males began singing a mean AE SE of 4.3 AE 1.6 min earlier on the day of playback (time relative to sunrise), significantly earlier than on the previous day. We also found a significant communication network level response where neighbouring males began singing 2.3 AE 0.8 min earlier in response to playback. Dawn song bouts of males that received playback were longer, but ended at a similar point relative to sunrise. As this effect of a simulated conspecific on chorus start time is on the scale of only a few minutes, other factors probably play a significant role in shaping the timing of dawn chorus onset. Our results show that animals adjust the timing of their sexual communication in response to increased levels of competition. Ó
Male chickadees match neighbors interactively at dawn: support for the social dynamics hypothesis
Behavioral Ecology, 2008
Males of many songbird species participate in a distinct chorus beginning before sunrise. Despite its ubiquity, the function of dawn chorusing remains poorly understood. We tested the social dynamics hypothesis, which states that males sing at dawn to mediate their social relationships with neighbors through interactive communication. Using a 16-microphone acoustic location system, we recorded 29 entire dawn choruses in 10 neighborhoods of 6-10 territorial male black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) of known dominance rank. We analyzed song frequency matching and overlapping between neighboring males in 10 choruses and compared the intensity of these behaviors with social factors. Chickadees matched the frequency of their neighbor's songs more often than expected by chance. The level of matching was higher between neighbors who belonged to different flocks during the previous winter than between neighbors who had been flockmates. Males of the same dominance rank matched each other more than males of disparate ranks. There was no relationship between matching and pairing status or distance between opponents. Overlapping was used less than expected by chance. No measures of song overlapping were related to measured social factors. Our results show that neighboring male chickadees interact vocally at dawn by frequency matching. This is the first study to show that the intensity of songbird vocal interactions at dawn varies with social factors, supporting the social dynamics hypothesis.
Nocturnal songs in a diurnal passerine: attracting mates or repelling intruders
Keywords: acoustic recording system automated radiotelemetry system birdsong extrapair mating field sparrow individual acoustic identification mate attraction nocturnal behaviour nocturnal song We addressed the role of nocturnal singing in the diurnal field sparrow, Spizella pusilla. We were particularly interested in whether nocturnal song is used to repel intruders (intrasexual function) and/or to attract females seeking extrapair copulations (intersexual function). First, we used autonomous acoustic recording units (ARUs) and an automated detection and classification system to examine the associations of singing behaviour of mated field sparrows with social factors (fertility stage, presence of neighbour song and presence of intruder song). Second, using an automated radiotelemetry system (ARTS), autonomous acoustic recording units (ARUs) and automated playback systems, we conducted a nocturnal playback experiment to explore how mated male and female field sparrows respond to nocturnal songs at night and across prefertile, fertile and postfertile stages. We found that neighbours and intruder males tended to sing complex songs on the same nights when focal males sang. While not all focal males sang at night, all male birds (resident males, neighbours and intruders) that sang tended to sing according to the fertility periods of the resident male's female. Our playback experiment demonstrated that, although field sparrows usually slept and were inactive at night, they moved in response to nocturnal field sparrow songs more than to control stimuli (other species vocalizations). Interestingly, we found that males did not respond by singing or countersinging to field sparrow nocturnal songs (simulated intrusions). We also demonstrated that male activity responses were similar during the prefertile and postfertile stages, while females responded more during the prefertile and fertile stages than during the postfertile stage. Consequently, the nocturnal song in the field sparrow appears to play a role in extrapair mate attraction (intersexual function) more than in repelling intruders (intrasexual function). While nocturnal singing is an infrequent behaviour of most diurnal birds, it may be important in the mating system of these birds.
Extrapair mating behaviors in the field sparrow: nocturnal singing and extraterritorial forays
2015
While there has been much research on the mating behaviors of birds, most attention has focused on elaborate and/or conspicuous mating displays, such as diurnal songs, ornaments, or mating dances. Much less attention has been devoted to investigating the role of more subtle behaviors, particularly nocturnal signing by diurnal birds and extraterritorial forays (movements off territory). My research explored the function of nocturnal singing and extraterritorial forays in the Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla). I determined that nocturnal complex song serves to announce the presence of extra-pair males to females and that extraterritorial forays serve primarily in prospecting and soliciting extra-pair matings. While forays are common among both male and female Field Sparrows, a higher foraying rate did not result in greater extra-pair paternity (EPP). Rather, my data provide strong evidence that extra-pair matings are determined by current and previous relationships; females chose extra-pair sires that were current neighbors or neighbors or social mates during previous breeding seasons. Given female preference for extra-pair matings with neighbors, males who have information on the fertility status of neighboring females and coordinate their nocturnal vocalizations in relation to the fertility stage of neighboring females may be able to increase their EPP. Contrary to other studies, I did not find a relationship between the traits of males, females, or females' social mates (age and tarsus length) and EPP. Thus, proximity to females, rather than male characteristics, appears to be key for a male's success at acquiring extra-pair paternity. Finally, my findings are consistent with the hypothesis that female choice for extra-pair mates coupled with female foray behavior are driving patterns of extra-pair paternity and nocturnal singing behavior. By integrating research on nocturnal singing, extraterritorial foray behavior, and extra-pair paternity, my work has led to a more comprehensive understanding of extra-pair mating behavior in birds. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to my advisor Dr. Michael Ward for making this dissertation possible. I am truly thankful for his patience, dedication, and support during every stage of my research. I am grateful that he was always available to listen to my ideas and provide feedback. His enthusiasm and confidence always encouraged me to move forward. I would like to thank Dr. T. J. Benson and Dr. Kirk Stodola for spending a considerable amount of time discussing ideas and suggesting better ways of examining and describing patterns in my data.
Ethology, 2004
It is well established, through laboratory experiments, that male song in birds can stimulate female reproductive activity, affecting their behaviour and physiology, such as follicular growth, nest building and egg-laying. However no clear demonstration has yet been provided that this effect works under natural conditions. Previous work in natural populations of serins showed that female nest-building behaviour correlated with male singing time. Furthermore male serin song peaked exactly in the day that rapid follicular growth was estimated to start in females, suggesting that in this species song may also serve to stimulate the female's reproductive development. Direct causal evidence, however, was lacking. We conducted field playback experiments to investigate how song can influence female nesting activity during nest building. Our results show that females who listened daily to playbacks of serin songs, during the nest-building stage, spent more time nest building than females that were not exposed to additional songs. Moreover, the singing behaviour of the mated males was not affected by the playbacks, suggesting that the song playback treatment had a direct positive effect on female nesting behaviour.
Effects of singing on copulation success and egg production in brown-headed cowbirds, Molothrus ater
Behavioral Ecology, 2010
We examined the relationship between singing and reproductive success in cowbirds. We amassed data from 17 captive flocks (164 males, 167 females) that we have studied over 4 years. For each flock, we conducted extensive observations on social interactions as the birds competed, courted, and reproduced. We collected and incubated all eggs laid during the breeding season and performed parentage analyses on the 7 flocks with the highest levels of egg production. Finally, we measured males' song quality in playback tests. Here, we assessed what aspects of singing were associated with 1) copulation success and 2) offspring production. Results differed for these 2 measures of reproductive success because of high variance in egg production within and across groups. The overall amount of songs males directed to females, a measure of courtship persistence, was the one variable strongly associated with males' copulation success. For offspring production, there was significant between-flock variability that was more pronounced than the within-group variability. The one variable that was found to be strongly associated with eggs laid within and across groups was the amount of countersinging males produced; a measure of male-male singing competition. Song attractiveness did not predict any unique variance in either measure of reproductive success. The relationship between female egg production and male competition suggests that females may be trading off current versus future reproduction based on the opportunities available in groups to evaluate males' competitive abilities. by guest on December 16, 2016 http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from by guest on December 16, 2016 http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from White et al. • Singing and reproductive success 217 by guest on December 16, 2016 http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from 218 Behavioral Ecology by guest on December 16, 2016 http://beheco.oxfordjournals.org/ Downloaded from
Male–male vocal interactions and the adjustment of song amplitude in a territorial bird
Animal Behaviour, 2004
Recent studies have shown that territorial songbirds do not maximize vocal amplitude. Instead, song intensity appears to be a flexible trait that is individually regulated. Given the benefits of singing loudly with regard to signal transmission in the context of territory defence and mate attraction, we investigated whether songbirds adjust the sound level of their territorial songs depending on social influences. While interacting with the playback of a simulated conspecific rival, seven male nightingales, Luscinia megarhynchos, increased the sound level of their songs, on average, by more than 5 dB. The nightingales increased their song level to significantly lower values (about 1 dB) in response to control songs of other species, so the revealed increase in vocal intensity during interactions cannot be fully explained by the acoustical masking of the interfering conspecific songs. Thus, the birds improved signal transmission to a higher degree during conspecific maleemale interactions.
Female birds monitor the activity of their mates while brooding nest-bound young
Animal Cognition, 2021
In addition to food and protection, altricial young in many species are ectothermic and require that endothermic parents provide warmth to foster growth, yet only one parent-typically the femalebroods these young to keep them warm. When this occurs, reduced provisioning by males obliges females to forage instead of providing warmth for offspring, favoring the temporal mapping of male activities. We assessed this in a wild house wren population while experimentally feeding nestlings to control offspring satiety. While brooding, females look out from the nest to inspect their surroundings, and we hypothesized that this helps determine if their mate is nearby and likely to deliver food to the brood (males pass food to brooding females, which pass the food to nestlings). Females looked out from the nest less often when their partner was singing nearby and when his singing and provisioning were temporally linked, signaling his impending food delivery. Females also left to forage less often when their mate was nearby and likely to deliver food. Terms of use and reuse: academic research for non-commercial purposes, see here for full terms. https://www.springer.com/aamterms-v1
Behavioral Ecology, 2012
Extra pair paternity is widespread in birds, but its high variability across years, populations, and species is to a great extent unresolved. Here we explored, during 2 breeding seasons, population and individual accessibility to fertile females at different spatiotemporal scales in a population of pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) to understand whether individual patterns of extra pair paternity were due to adaptive individual behavior or ecological constraints. Our aim was to comprehend variation in extra pair paternity population patterns through the understanding of individual behavior. At the population level, extra pair paternity probability decayed with distance between nests. At the individual level, however, males engaged in extra pair paternity with distant (up to 390 m) females despite the fact that there were often fertile females in closer territories. Extra pair paternity cases occurred mostly during egg laying and the incubation of the extra pair male's social female despite that other neighboring females were fertile before and after these periods. Results suggest a male strategy to maximize reproductive output by guarding their social females during their peak of fertility, seeking extra pair paternity afterwards and investing in parental duties once their social nestlings hatch. This may explain why extra pair paternity rate was higher in the year with lower breeding synchrony, because this allowed early-breeding males to have more extra pair paternity opportunities after their social mate laying onset. This study highlights the necessity of considering the social contexts of individuals at the spatiotemporal scales at which extra pair paternity takes place to understand variation in extra pair paternity patterns at the individual and population levels.