Male and female song structure and singing behaviour in the duetting eastern whipbird, Psophodes olivaceus

2005 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Social Partner ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Song Repertoire ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Paired Female ◽  
Song Types

In many tropical bird species, partners combine their songs to form precise duets, of which the function is imperfectly understood. Duet structure and sex differences in vocal strategies may be important indicators of different selective pressures that have led to the evolution and maintenance of these complex acoustic displays. This study examines the singing behaviour of a population of the eastern whipbird, a bird that forms antiphonal duets initiated exclusively by the male. In all, 7% of duets recorded were between a paired female and a male other than her social partner. Males sang more often than females, their songs were longer and moved through a wider frequency range, and they had a larger song repertoire. Females sang two types of song: response songs, used primarily in a duet context, and structurally distinct solo songs, typically used during interactions with other females. Eastern whipbirds lacked unique song types among the repertoires of individual males and females. Males and females combined songs non-randomly to produce specific duets that were shared across the population. Results suggested that song and duet type matching might play an important role in intrasex interactions, such as defence of a territory, or a partner, from same-sex intruders.

scholarly journals Sex Differences in Singing and Duetting Behavior of Neotropical Rufous-and-White Wrens (Thryothorus Rufalbus)

The Auk ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Mennill ◽  
Sandra L. Vehrencamp
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Repertoire Size ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Conflict And Cooperation ◽  
Singing Behavior ◽  
Singing Activity ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Thryothorus Rufalbus ◽  
Song Types

AbstractIn many tropical bird species, males and females sing together in coordinated vocal duets. Although studies of duetting present unique opportunities for understanding conflict and cooperation between the sexes, very few investigations describe the similarities and differences between male and female singing behaviors. Here, we present the first detailed account of the singing behavior of Rufous-and-white Wrens (Thryothorus rufalbus), a resident tropical duetting songbird. Male and female songs share a similar structure, yet show pronounced sex differences. Male songs have lower frequency characteristics and more repeated trill syllables, and often sound louder than female songs. Males sing more than females, and only males show elevated song output at dawn. Both males and females have song repertoires. Males have an average repertoire size of 10.8 song types, whereas females have a significantly smaller average repertoire size of 8.5 song types. Although males share proportionately more of their song types with neighbors than females do, both sexes share more song types with nearby individuals than with distant individuals. Breeding partners combine their solo songs to create duets. Duets assume a variety of different forms, ranging from simple, overlapping male and female songs to complex combinations of multiple male and female songs. Most duets (73%) are created by females responding to male song. Males respond to female-initiated duets with shorter latencies than when females respond to male-initiated duets. Each pair sings certain combinations of song types in duets more often than can be explained by random association, which demonstrates that Rufous-and-white Wrens have duet types. The most common duet type was different for each pair. Our results show that Rufous-and-white Wrens have pronounced sex differences in song structure, singing activity, repertoire size, repertoire sharing, and duetting behavior.Diferencias entre Sexos en el Canto y Comportamiento de Dueto en Thryothorus rufalbus

Male and Female Competitive Strategies of Wild House Mice Pairs (Mus Musculus Domesticus) Confronted With Intruders of Different Sex and Age in Artificial Territories

Behaviour ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 133 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 863-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Palanza ◽  
L. Re ◽  
D. Mainardi ◽  
P.F. Brain ◽  
S. Parmigiani
Keyword(s):  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Mus Musculus Domesticus ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Competitive Strategies ◽  
Wild Mice ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Pregnancy And Lactation ◽  
Wild House Mice ◽  
Males And Females

Male and female aggression at different reproductive stages was investigated in pairs of wild mice. Fourteen pairs of laboratory-outbred wild mice were established, each pair living in a multiple set of cages, connected by runaways. Intruder tests were carried out at different stages of the reproductive cycle, i.e. 48 h after introduction, during pregnancy and lactation. In these stages, a female, a male and two pups were consecutively introduced in each territory (24 h separating each intrusion). Male residents were highly aggressive towards (and always intolerant of) male but not female intruders. Conversely, resident females preferentially attacked same sex intruders after colony establishment and during pregnancy, but they attacked either sex of intruder when nursing young. Seven out of 14 female intruders were tolerated 48 h after introduction of residents but tolerance of females decreased during pregnancy and lactation. Male and female residents were essentially responsible for the intolerance of same-sex intruders. Both males and females exhibited infanticide, but sex differences in the timing of attack on alien pups were observed. In the 7 colonies where the intruder female was tolerated (since that two females were present) only one female reproduced successfully. This suggests that, as in males, females of this stock compete for the opportunity to reproduce; they can be exclusively territorial or form a dominance hierarchy which probably determines reproductive success. While male competitive aggression appears to be mostly directed to other males, females seem largely responsible of the regulation of the reproductive potential of a deme unit throughout intrasexual aggression (intolerance towards other females), and possibly also inhibition of subordinate reproduction and killing of unrelated pups.

scholarly journals Different Messages are Transmitted by Individual Duet Contributions and Complete Duets in a Species with Highly Overlapped Duets

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Sandoval ◽  
Roselvy Juárez ◽  
Mauricio Villarreal
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Dual Function ◽  
Clear Pattern ◽  
Resource Defense ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Territorial Intrusion

Background: Duet function hypotheses have been mostly studied in bird species that produce duets with male and female solo songs. However, in order to understand if patterns of duet function are similar across all duetting species, it is highly necessary to test the duet function hypotheses in species that produce duets with vocalizations other than solo songs. Objective: We studied the responses of territorial pairs to each sex’s individual duet contribution and complete duets in a species that produces duets with a vocalization other than male and female solo songs. Methods: We conducted a playback experiment where we presented duet contributions of each sex to three populations of White-eared Ground-sparrows (Melozone leucotis) in Costa Rica, during this species’ breeding season in 2016. Results: The responses to complete duets were stronger than those to each sex’s duet contribution, suggesting that complete duets and each sex’s duet contribution have different functions. Complete duets are used to protect resources from intruders (supporting the resource defense hypothesis), and to prevent the partner from being usurped by intruders (supporting the mate-guarding hypothesis). Males used solo songs in response to female duet contributions, and this may work to attract intruder females (increasing the probability of extra-pair copulation). Males also use solo songs in response to male duet contributions, which may work as a signal to repel intruder males and guard their female. In this case, where mate attraction occurs with a completely different type of vocalization than used for duetting, we found a clear pattern of a double agenda for males when a territorial intrusion occurs. Conclusions: This study provides strong support for the dual function hypothesis in duets and reveals conflicting selective pressures between pair members relative to each hypothesis.

scholarly journals Test of the Deception Hypothesis in Atlantic Mollies Poecilia mexicana—Does the Audience Copy a Pretended Mate Choice of Others?

Biology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaudia Witte ◽  
Katharina Baumgärtner ◽  
Corinna Röhrig ◽  
Sabine Nöbel
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Information Use ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Audience Effect ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Poecilia Mexicana ◽  
Focal Fish ◽  
Males And Females

Animals often use public information for mate-choice decisions by observing conspecifics as they choose their mates and then copying this witnessed decision. When the copier, however, is detected by the choosing individual, the latter often alters its behavior and spends more time with the previously non-preferred mate. This behavioral change is called the audience effect. The deception hypothesis states that the choosing individual changes its behavior to distract the audience from the preferred mate. The deception hypothesis, however, only applies if the audience indeed copies the pretended mate choice of the observed individual. So far, this necessary prerequisite has never been tested. We investigated in Atlantic molly males and females whether, first, focal fish show an audience effect, i.e., alter their mate choices in the presence of an audience fish, and second, whether audience fish copy the mate choice of the focal fish they had just witnessed. We found evidence that male and female Atlantic mollies copy the pretended mate choice of same-sex focal fish. Therefore, a necessary requirement of the deception hypothesis is fulfilled. Our results show that public information use in the context of mate choice can be costly.

Man and Woman: Social Schemata of Males and Females

1963 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 655-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Kuethe ◽  
George Stricker
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Female College Students ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female College ◽  
Female Figures ◽  
Males And Females

Male and female college students placed human figures cut from felt on a felt field. Ss were free to arrange the figures in any manner. Both male and female Ss used the same generic social schemata; human figures were kept together, male figures were placed with female figures, and figures were rarely paired with same-sex figures. Differences between the male and female Ss included the tendency of the female Ss to form male-female pairings separated away from other figures. The use of aggressive schemata was studied as were preferences for non-social orderings.

Male and female rufous‐and‐white wrens do not match song types with same‐sex rivals during simulated territorial intrusions

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Moser‐Purdy ◽  
Zachary A. Kahn ◽  
Brendan A. Graham ◽  
Daniel J. Mennill
Keyword(s):  
Same Sex ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Song Types

scholarly journals Song sharing in the pied bush chat (Saxicola caprata)

2020 ◽  
Vol 144 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinaya Kumar Sethi ◽  
Dinesh Bhatt ◽  
Amit Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Passerine Bird ◽  
Significant Decline ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Song Repertoire ◽  
Song Sharing ◽  
Male Song ◽  
Song Types

In most oscine passerine bird species, male song is composed of different song types of which some are shared with other males. Our aim for this study was to investigate whether song sharing occurs in the pied bush chat (a tropical species with multiple song types), and if so, whether neighbouring males share significantly more song types than non-neighbouring males and whether song sharing declines with increasing distance between males. A standard song sharing index was used to compare all song types of each male with all song types of all other males. Males had a mean repertoire of 22.8±4.4 song types ranging from 17 to 30 song types. Results revealed that neighbouring males shared significantly more song types than did non-neighbouring males. Nevertheless, no two males shared all song types in their repertoires. Furthermore, we observed a significant decline in the proportion of song repertoire shared with increasing distance between males. Results confirm the presence of song sharing in the pied bush chat, which may help neighbouring males to mediate social relationships.

scholarly journals Young chicks quickly lose their spontaneous preference to aggregate with females

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Pallante ◽  
Daniele Rucco ◽  
Elisabetta Versace
Keyword(s):  
Sex Discrimination ◽  
Phasianus Colchicus ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Experimental Protocol ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Sex Preference ◽  
Initial Preference ◽  
The Social ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Young Chicks

AbstractIt is not clear when and how animals start to discriminate between male and female conspecifics and how this distinction drives their social behaviour. A recent study on pheasants found that one-week-old chicks (Phasianus colchicus) preferentially aggregated with same-sex peers and this trend became more pronounced through development, suggesting that sexual segregation increases during ontogeny. However, it remains unclear whether this ability depends on experience or develops spontaneously. Using a similar experimental protocol, we investigated whether sex discrimination is present at birth in domestic chickens (Gallus gallus) by testing the aggregation preferences of young chicks with clutch mates. We measured the amount of time spent close to male and female conspecifics in visually inexperienced chicks. Soon after hatching, both males and females preferentially aggregated with females. To clarify whether the experience with conspecifics modifies the initial preference for females we used an imprinting procedure. We exposed chicks to conspecifics of the same sex, different sex or both sexes for three days and then tested their preferences to aggregate with males or females. No sex preference was observed after three days of imprinting exposure. The disappearance of the initial sex preference shows that, although chicks can discriminate between conspecifics of different sex, sex segregation does not influence aggregation in the first week of life. We suggest that the absence of sexual assortment in the first week of age can enhance the social cohesion of the flock.

Female Choice and Inter-Sexual Competition for Female Sexual Partners in Japanese Macaques

Behaviour ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 135 (5) ◽  
pp. 579-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Vasey
Keyword(s):  
Macaca Fuscata ◽  
Japanese Macaques ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Alloparental Care ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Sexual Competition ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Intersexual Competition

AbstractObservations of a captive colony of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) were carried out with the goal of documenting (1) competition between males and females for female sexual partners and (2) choice of same-sex sexual partners by females, despite the presence of motivated, opposite-sex alternatives. Data were collected during 21 homosexual consorts hips involving 14 females living in a mixed-sex group of 37 individuals. Intersexual competition for female sexual partners was manifested when a sexually motivated male and female (competitors) simultaneously sought exclusive access to the same infertile or post-conception female (focus of competition). This occurred during male intrusions on female homosexual consortships and counter-challenges by female competitors against intruding males. Inter-sexual competition for female sexual partners took the form of approaches and solicitations directed at the focus of competition, as well as displacements and aggression directed at one's competitor. Females did not acquire alloparental care for their immature offspring from their same-sex consort partners. Thus, female competitors appeared to engaged in potentially risky competition for same-sex sexual partners in the absence of any obvious reproductive benefit (e.g. insemination or alloparental care). Following these interactions, females which were foci of competition chose to mount with the female competitors significantly more often than not.

scholarly journals Age-Related Testosterone Changes and Corresponding Song Patterns in Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus Linnaeus, 1758)

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 1211-1220
Author(s):  
Panas Tumkiratiwong ◽  
Darika Manathamkamon ◽  
Rattanawat Chaiyarat ◽  
Kan Khoomsab
Keyword(s):  
Total Testosterone ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Female Total ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Song Types

We monitored total testosterone profiles and song patterns of 12 males and 2 females Red-whiskered Bulbuls (Pycnonotus jocosus), aged 5-10 months. Each bird was maintained in a cage sized of 38 × 38 × 50 cm and raised in a 22 °C-controlled room-sized of 6 × 10 × 3.5 m. The song prototype was played during 0700-11.00 h, with an amplifier-connected loudspeaker placed at the center and the song was recorded during both 1100-1200 and 1300-1500 h, and then their sonograms were analyzed with Avisoft SAS Lab Pro, version 4.3. Feces were collected monthly and immediately following recording their songs to determine male and female total testosterone levels by radioimmunoassay. The results demonstrated that an average of a frequency that the male and the female birds produced was 4.27 ± 0.13 kHz with a frequency range of 1.50 - 5.18 kHz. The males aged 8-10 months old produced songs with an average of 25.83 syllables/10 s, similar to those found in the song prototype while the females produced those with an average of 18.33 syllables/10 s. The males produced songs consisting of more syllables and fewer intervals than those of the females. The coefficient of correlations between the mean total testosterone levels with the syllables/10 s and intervals/10 s were +0.68 and -0.69, respectively. Additionally, the male Red-whiskered Bulbuls created the complicated and various song types that corresponded well with the marked increases in the total testosterone levels at the age of 8 to 10 months old.

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