Why Do Male House Wrens Feed Their Incubating Mates so Rarely?

1992 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Scott Johnson ◽  
L. Henry Kermott
Keyword(s):  
House Wrens ◽  
Male House

Male House Wrens provide more parental provisioning to nests with a brighter artificial egg

2014 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 508-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey A. Walters ◽  
Nathan Olszewski ◽  
Kevin Sobol
Keyword(s):  
House Wrens ◽  
Parental Provisioning ◽  
Male House

Female Attraction To Male Song in House Wrens (Troglodytes Aedon)

Behaviour ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 133 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 357-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Searcy ◽  
L. Scott Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Empty Nest ◽  
Troglodytes Aedon ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Male Song ◽  
Visit Rate ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Female Attraction ◽  
Male House

AbstractThis study tested the hypothesis that the song of male birds can function to attract mates. At 11 different locations on our Wyoming study area, we broadcast the song of male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) from a loudspeaker mounted next to an empty nest box in an unoccupied wren territory. The number of female wrens attracted to the 'speaker box' was compared to the number visiting a silent, control box on another, unoccupied territory nearby. Females visited speaker boxes at a significantly higher rate than they visited control boxes. Ten females visited speaker boxes in six different trials during periods when no male was associated with either the speaker or control box (total time = 45.5 h; visit rate = 0.22/h). In contrast, only one female visited a control box during these same periods (= 0.02 visits/h), and she did so after first visiting the speaker box. Two females visited the speaker box simultaneously in some trials and chasing or fighting always ensued. Many females showed signs of settling permanently at speaker boxes, remaining at speaker boxes from their arrival to the end of the trial (> 5 h in two cases), and most began constructing nests in boxes, despite the absence of a male. In summary, this study provides strong experimental evidence that the song of male house wrens can function to attract mates for breeding.

scholarly journals Perceived threat to paternity reduces likelihood of paternal provisioning in house wrens

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1336-1343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael A DiSciullo ◽  
Charles F Thompson ◽  
Scott K Sakaluk
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Paternal Care ◽  
Genetic Relatedness ◽  
Perceived Threat ◽  
Biparental Care ◽  
Young Males ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Feeding Effort ◽  
Male House

Abstract Biparental care is a critical and, occasionally, unequally shared obligation that ensures that young survive to maturity. Such care may be complicated in systems in which one parent, typically the male, is unsure of his genetic relatedness to the young. Males may reduce paternal provisioning when full paternity is not assured, as occurs in mating systems in which females engage in extrapair copulations. Moreover, other factors independent of extrapair matings, such as male personality traits, likely also affect the level of paternal care. In this study, we determined the effect of a paternity threat event (i.e., a conspecific or a heterospecific territory intrusion) and male personality (i.e., the level of aggressiveness) on provisioning effort by male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon). Males were more likely to attack a conspecific intruder than a heterospecific intruder. Males that were exposed to a conspecific intruder were less likely to provision young at all. Of those males that did feed the young in their nest, male aggressiveness did not relate to feeding effort. These findings suggest that the likelihood of paternal care is reduced by perceived threats to paternity but that the costs of not feeding potentially multisired young are high and feeding efforts are unrelated to male personality.

scholarly journals Empty Nests do not Affect Female Mate Choice or Maternal Investment in House Wrens

The Condor ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 382-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie S. Dubois ◽  
Thomas Getty
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Troglodytes Aedon ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Egg Removal ◽  
Male House ◽  
Cavity Nests

Abstract House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) remove eggs from the nests of other birds, including conspecifics and heterospecifics and both cup and cavity nests. Egg removal by males before females arrive increases the number of empty nests in and around a male House Wren's territory, and females might use this trait in mate choice. We manipulated the presence of empty nests in House Wren territories prior to female settlement by adding artificial nests with or without plastic eggs. We used the timing of female settlement as an index of mate preference. Our manipulation had no effect on the timing of female settlement or on variables related to maternal investment such as clutch size, egg volume, or provisioning effort. Differential investment in offspring was based on the timing of a reproductive attempt, which was unrelated to the experimental manipulation. La Elección de Pareja por las Hembras o la Inversión Maternal no Son Afectadas por Nidos Vacíos en Troglodytes aedon Resumen. Troglodytes aedon remueve los huevos de nidos de otras aves, incluyendo nidos coespecíficos y heteroespecíficos, y nidos de copa y en cavidades. La remoción de los huevos por el macho antes de la llegada de la hembra aumenta el número de nidos vacíos dentro y alrededor del territorio del macho, y es posible que las hembras utilicen este caracter en la elección de pareja. Manipulamos la presencia de nidos vacíos en territorios de T. aedon adicionando nidos artificiales con y sin huevos de plástico antes del asentamiento de las hembras. Utilizamos el momento de asentamiento de la hembra como un índice de preferencia de pareja. Nuestra manipulación no tuvo un efecto sobre el momento de asentamiento de la hembra o sobre variables relacionadas con la inversión materna como tamaño de la nidada, volumen del huevo o esfuerzo de aprovisionamiento. Las diferencias en la inversión en la progenie se relacionaron con el momento en que ocurre un intento reproductivo el cual no se relacionó con la manipulación experimental.

Female house wrens value the nest cavity more than exclusive access to males during conflicts with female intruders

Behaviour ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 155 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 151-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara A. Krieg ◽  
Thomas Getty
Keyword(s):  
Female Aggression ◽  
Troglodytes Aedon ◽  
High Quality ◽  
House Wren ◽  
Nest Cavity ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Male Care ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Male House

Abstract Individuals should fight hardest when they stand to lose the most. Whereas males frequently compete for fertile females, females more often compete for high quality males, male care, or resources required to breed. We asked whether established, territorial female house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) challenged by simulated female intruders fight as if they place more value on retaining (1) their nesting cavity or (2) exclusive access to other benefits offered by males. We randomly assigned house wren pairs to receive one or three nest boxes and then assayed female aggression. The relative costs to losing differed between box treatments. For one-box females, the risk of losing the cavity and territory was higher. For three-box females, the risk of losing the cavity may be lower because intruders may be able to settle as secondary females in the supplemental boxes. In this situation, females would lose exclusive access to males and their territories but would still retain the male’s assistance rearing offspring since male house wrens favour their oldest brood. We found that one-box females were significantly more aggressive. This response may be adaptive, as females that switched territories between broods were significantly more likely to lose their entire nest prior to hatching than females that retained the same territory. We interpret our results to mean that female house wrens value the nest cavity more than other benefits from exclusive access to males and their territories. This work contributes to a body of evidence that females often compete for resources required to breed.

Aggressive displays by male House Wrens are composed of multiple components that predict attack

2014 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig A. Barnett ◽  
Scott K. Sakaluk ◽  
Charles F. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
House Wrens ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Male House

The Functions of Song in Male House Wrens (Troglodytes Aedon)

Behaviour ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 116 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 190-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Henry Kermott ◽  
L. Scott Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Breeding Cycle ◽  
Troglodytes Aedon ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Breeding Cycles ◽  
Routine Basis ◽  
Correlative Studies ◽  
Male House

AbstractTo assess the functions of song in male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon), we examined the pattern of song output during different stages of the breeding cycle and behaviour patterns of focal males and conspecifics that were associated with song. We recorded 2093.5 bouts of song from 11 different males in 12 breeding cycles during 3 years. Most song sung prior to pairing is sung at a high volume and is given spontaneously (i.e. is apparently not produced in response to the behaviour of any conspecific). Production of high volume spontaneous song ceased immediately for at least 7 days when the male paired, but resumed immediately upon loss of the mate. Paired males sang high volume spontaneous song after mates began incubating, and almost always sang this song within 10 m of an unoccupied nest site. Several males attracted second mates to these nest sites and immediately ceased their output of high volume spontaneous song. These observations strongly suggest that high volume spontaneous song functions in mate attraction. Male house wrens do not appear to use song on a routine basis to communicate with neighbours or other males. However, they do appear to direct song at other males when territories are threatened. Song is sung at intruders in the territory and at neighbours just establishing a territory of their own. Most song sung after pairing appears to be directed towards mates. We suspect than males use song to inform mates that there is no immediate threat of predation, allowing mates to move quickly to and from nest sites. We discuss the role and benefits of descriptive, correlative studies in assessing song function.

Social factors, not anthropogenic noise or artificial light, influence onset of dawn singing in a common songbird

The Auk ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carley J Stuart ◽  
Erin E Grabarczyk ◽  
Maarten J Vonhof ◽  
Sharon A Gill
Keyword(s):  
Social Factors ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Anthropogenic Noise ◽  
Artificial Light ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Daily Behavior ◽  
Dawn Song ◽  
Male House

Abstract With worldwide increases in artificial light and anthropogenic noise, understanding how these pollutants influence animals allows us to better mitigate potential negative effects. Both light and noise affect the timing of daily activities, including the onset of dawn song in birds, yet the influence of these pollutants compared with social factors that also influence song onset remains unknown. We investigated the onset of dawn song, testing hypotheses aimed at understanding the influences of light and noise pollution as well as male competition, pairing status, and breeding stage on timing of dawn singing by male House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon). Overall, models with social factors fit song onset data better than models with abiotic factors of noise and sky glow, and the highest ranking model included nesting stage, number of male neighbors, and temperature. Males began singing earlier when they were building nests and when mates were fertile than during later nesting stages. Males also sang earlier as the number of male neighbors increased. The timing of dawn song by male House Wrens appeared unaffected by day-to-day variation in light and noise pollution, with social factors having larger effects on the onset of daily behavior in this species.

scholarly journals Surplus nest boxes and the potential for polygyny affect clutch size and offspring sex ratio in house wrens

2006 ◽  
Vol 273 (1595) ◽  
pp. 1751-1757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie S Dubois ◽  
E Dale Kennedy ◽  
Thomas Getty
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Offspring Sex Ratio ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Nest Boxes ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Offspring Sex ◽  
Investment In Reproduction ◽  
Male House

Females of many species can gain benefits from being choosy about their mates and even exhibit context-dependent investment in reproduction in response to the quality of their breeding situation. Here, we show that if a male house wren is provided with surplus nest boxes in his territory, his mate lays a larger clutch with a significantly higher proportion of sons. This response to a territory characteristic directly associated with male competitive ability, and ultimately to male reproductive success, suggests that male competition over access to high-quality territories with surplus nest boxes (i.e. those able to support polygyny) may influence female reproductive investment decisions. The results of this study have interesting implications, particularly considering the important role that studies of cavity nesting birds utilizing nest boxes have played in advancing our understanding of behaviour, ecology and evolution.

scholarly journals Social context and noise affect within and between male song adjustments in a common passerine

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 1150-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin E Grabarczyk ◽  
Maarten J Vonhof ◽  
Sharon A Gill
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Temporal Structure ◽  
Peak Frequency ◽  
Reaction Norm ◽  
Noisy Environments ◽  
House Wrens ◽  
Syllable Duration ◽  
Song Frequency ◽  
Changing Noise ◽  
Male House

Abstract Across populations, animals that inhabit areas with high anthropogenic noise produce vocalizations that differ from those inhabiting less noisy environments. Such patterns may be due to individuals rapidly adjusting their songs in response to changing noise, but individual variation is seldom explored. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) immediately adjust their songs according to changing noise and that social context further modifies responses. We recorded songs, quantified noise, and defined social context within pairs as female fertile status and between males as number of conspecific neighbors. We used a reaction-norm approach to compare song trait intercepts (between-male effects) and slopes (within-male effects) as a function of noise. Individuals immediately adjusted song duration in response to changing noise. How they achieved adjustments varied: some sang shorter and others longer songs with greater noise, and individuals varied in the extent to which they adjusted song duration. Variation in song duration could be affected by competition as between-male noise levels interacted with number of neighbors to affect syllable duration. Neither within- nor between-male noise effects were detected for frequency traits. Rather, males with fertile mates sang lower-frequency songs and increased peak frequency with more neighbors. Among males, social context but not noise affected song frequency, whereas temporal structure varied between and within individuals depending on noise and social factors. Not all males adjusted signals the same way in response to noise, and selection could favor different levels of variation according to noise.

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