Effects of early song experience on song preferences and song control and auditory brain regions in female house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus)

2004 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra M. Hernandez ◽  
Scott A. MacDougall-Shackleton
Keyword(s):  
Brain Regions ◽  
Carpodacus Mexicanus ◽  
House Finches ◽  
Song Preferences ◽  
Song Control

scholarly journals Pathogen resistance and immunocompetence covary with social status in house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus)

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 520-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. HAWLEY ◽  
C. S. JENNELLE ◽  
K. V. SYDENSTRICKER ◽  
A. A. DHONDT
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Pathogen Resistance ◽  
Carpodacus Mexicanus ◽  
House Finches

scholarly journals Dynamics of Conjunctivitis and Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Infections in House Finches

The Auk ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry K. Hartup ◽  
Jean M. Bickal ◽  
Andre A. Dhondt ◽  
David H. Ley ◽  
George V. Kollias
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Annual Variation ◽  
Seasonal Fluctuation ◽  
Host Density ◽  
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum ◽  
Disease Prevalence ◽  
Significant Decline ◽  
Carpodacus Mexicanus ◽  
House Finch ◽  
House Finches

Abstract Conjunctivitis, an infectious disease caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), has produced a significant decline in eastern House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) of North America. In this paper, we present findings from two complementary studies designed to clarify annual and seasonal trends of MG infections in House Finches from the northeastern United States. The first was a field study of House Finches common to urban and residential habitat from Mercer County, New Jersey. We documented conjunctivitis in 11% (188/1,651) of the birds examined. Conjunctivitis prevalence in House Finches ranged from 0 to 43% per month, and exhibited marked seasonal fluctuation (elevations during fall and winter months and lower disease prevalence during the breeding season). There was excellent intermethod agreement on disease prevalence when measured by either presence of physical signs (conjunctivitis) or MG infection (kappa = 0.75). During the peak of the breeding season (April through June), conjunctivitis was present in a greater proportion of males lacking a cloacal protuberance than males with a cloacal protuberance (P < 0.01), but was similar between breeding and nonbreeding females. The second study, a volunteer survey, revealed the proportion of northeastern U.S. monitoring sites with at least one diseased House Finch each month ranged from a peak of 59% (August 1995) to a minimum of 12% (July 1999). Subsequent to the epidemic peak of disease in 1995, a series of recurring cycles occurred, with elevations in those proportions noted in late fall and winter and minima during the breeding season. Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis now appears endemic among House Finches of that region and demonstrates dynamics consistent with annual variation in host density.

scholarly journals Use of PG-21 immunocytochemistry to detect androgen receptors in the songbird brain.

1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 1075-1080 ◽  
Author(s):  
G T Smith ◽  
E A Brenowitz ◽  
G S Prins
Keyword(s):  
Androgen Receptor ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Behavioral Plasticity ◽  
Androgen Receptors ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cell Nuclei ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Song Control System ◽  
Song Control ◽  
Avian Song

The avian song control system is an excellent model in which to study the effects of gonadal steroid hormones on neural and behavioral plasticity. Several of the brain regions that control song behavior concentrate androgens and/or estrogens. Investigations of the distribution and regulation of androgen receptors have been limited by the lack of a reliable immunocytochemical method to detect androgen receptors in the songbird brain. We describe a protocol by which the PG-21 polygonal antibody to the rat androgen receptor can be used to label androgen receptor-containing cells in the songbird brain. By treating songbirds of several species with testosterone 90 min before sacrifice and by using relatively low concentrations (0.5 0.75 microg/ml) of PG-21 antibody to reduce nonspecific background staining, we were able to obtain strong specific labeling of cell nuclei in androgen-sensitive brain regions. This technique will facilitate the study of the role of androgens in mediating neural plasticity in the avian brain. Testosterone pretreatment may also facilitate the use of this antibody to label androgen receptors in tissues from a wide array of nonmammalian species.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum Isolated from House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) with Conjunctivitis

1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 480 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Ley ◽  
J. Edward Berkhoff ◽  
Judith M. McLaren
Keyword(s):  
Mycoplasma Gallisepticum ◽  
Carpodacus Mexicanus ◽  
House Finches

scholarly journals Plumage Brightness and Breeding-Season Dominance in the House Finch: A Negatively Correlated Handicap?

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 456-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin J. McGraw ◽  
Geoffrey E. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Conclusive Evidence ◽  
Carpodacus Mexicanus ◽  
Honest Signal ◽  
Apparent Paradox ◽  
House Finches ◽  
Nonbreeding Season ◽  
Access To Food ◽  
Male House

Abstract A variety of observations indicate that the carotenoid-based coloration of male House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) is an honest signal of quality. Plumage redness in this species positively reveals male nutritional condition, over-winter survival, and nest attentiveness. As a result, in the breeding season, male House Finches with brighter ornamental plumage are preferred by females as social mates over males with drabber plumage. In the nonbreeding season, however, bright red plumage does not seem to confer an advantage in aggressive interactions, as males with drabber plumage tend to dominate males with brighter plumage. We investigated this apparent paradox by conducting a breeding-season dominance experiment using captive males. We paired unfamiliar males of contrasting plumage brightness in a series of dominance trials during the breeding season and found that drabber males were dominant to brighter males in competition for access to food. Furthermore, in two captive flocks of males, plumage brightness was significantly negatively associated with social dominance. Although we have no conclusive evidence to explain why drab male House Finches are dominant to bright males throughout the year, we believe that motivational asymmetry may contribute to the observed negative correlation between signal intensity and signaler quality (“negatively correlated handicap”). Drab males may be more willing to compete for access to food or to females than are bright males because of the nutritional and/or mating disadvantages from which they suffer.

scholarly journals Mate Attentiveness, Seasonal Timing of Breeding and Long-term Pair Bonding in the House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)

Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Hill ◽  
Kevin McGraw
Keyword(s):  
Pair Bond ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Carpodacus Mexicanus ◽  
Timing Of Breeding ◽  
Pair Bonding ◽  
House Finches ◽  
Breeding Date ◽  
Pair Bonds ◽  
Term Pair

AbstractIn seasonally breeding birds, natural selection favors individuals that begin breeding earlier in a year because they produce more or higher quality offspring than those that begin breeding later. Among the factors that influence the timing of breeding, which include the age, health, competitive ability, or mate quality of individuals, is the longevity of the pair bond, with birds that remain mated across years initiating breeding earlier in the season than newly formed pairs. The behavioural interactions between pair members that may facilitate long-term pair bonding and early breeding onset have infrequently been studied, however. Here we report the relationship between male-female affiliative behaviour, pair-bond duration, and breeding date in house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus), a short-lived, socially monogamous passerine species in which the duration of pair bonds is highly variable within and among seasons. Finches that initiated breeding earliest in the season were those that had bred with one another in previous years. Early breeding males from returning pairs maintained significantly closer contact with their mate during the first egg-laying period of the year than did males from late-breeding, newly formed pairs. Similarly, early-breeding females from returning pairs followed their mate more closely in nest-vicinity flights during the fertile period than females from late-breeding, newly formed pairs. These results suggest that attributes of and interactions between both pair members may help to maintain stable breeding pairs and influence the timing of breeding in seasonally nesting, short-lived songbirds. Rather than advertising for or seeking extra-pair fertilization opportunities, high-quality pairs of finches may invest heavily in their mate to secure the pair bond and ensure high intrapair reproductive success.

Seasonal Variation in Brain GnRH in Free-Living Breeding and Photorefractory House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus)

1998 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina N. Cho ◽  
Thomas P. Hahn ◽  
Scott MacDougall-Shackleton ◽  
Gregory F. Ball
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Carpodacus Mexicanus ◽  
Free Living ◽  
House Finches

scholarly journals Early nutritional stress impairs development of a song-control brain region in both male and female juvenile song sparrows ( Melospiza melodia ) at the onset of song learning

2006 ◽  
Vol 273 (1600) ◽  
pp. 2559-2564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian F MacDonald ◽  
Bethany Kempster ◽  
Liana Zanette ◽  
Scott A MacDougall-Shackleton
Keyword(s):  
Food Restriction ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Nutritional Stress ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Melospiza Melodia ◽  
Developmental Stress ◽  
Song Sparrows ◽  
Control Brain ◽  
Song Control

Birdsong is a sexually selected trait and is often viewed as an indicator of male quality. The developmental stress hypothesis proposes a model by which song could be an indicator; the time during early development, when birds learn complex songs and/or local variants of song, is of rapid development and nutritional stress. Birds that cope best with this stress may better learn to produce the most effective songs. The developmental stress hypothesis predicts that early food restriction should impair development of song-control brain regions at the onset of song learning. We examined the effect of food restriction on song-control brain regions in fledgling (both sexes, 23–26 days old) song sparrows ( Melospiza melodia ). Food restriction selectively reduced HVC volume in both sexes. In addition, sex differences were evident in all three song-control regions. This study lends further support to a growing body of literature documenting a variety of behavioural, physiological and neural detriments in several songbird species resulting from early developmental stress.

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