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Loning H, Griffith SC, Naguib M. The ecology of zebra finch song and its implications for vocal communication in multi-level societies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230191. [PMID: 38768203 PMCID: PMC11391294 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Acoustic signalling is crucial in affecting movements and in social interactions. In species with dynamic social structures, such as multi-level societies, acoustic signals can provide a key mechanism allowing individuals to identify and find or avoid each other and to exchange information. Yet, if the spacing between individuals regularly exceeds the maximum signalling range, the relation between movements and signals becomes more complex. As the best-studied songbird in captivity, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia castanotis) is a species with individually distinct songs that are audible over just a few metres and a widely ranging dynamic multi-level social organization in the wild, raising questions on the actual role of its song in social cohesion and coordination. Here, we provide an overview of birdsong in social organizations (networks) and use the ecology of the zebra finch and male song to discuss how singing can facilitate social cohesion and coordination in species where the signal range is very short. We raise the question of the extent to which zebra finches are a representative species to understand the function of song in communication, and we broaden current views on the function of birdsong and its individual signature. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Loning
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research , 6708 WD, The Netherlands
| | - Simon C Griffith
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Marc Naguib
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research , 6708 WD, The Netherlands
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2
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Whittaker BA, Nolet-Mulholland L, Nevoit A, Yun D, Lambert CT, Blunk SC, Guillette LM. Zebra finches have style: Nest morphology is repeatable and associated with experience. iScience 2023; 26:108194. [PMID: 37965145 PMCID: PMC10641255 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether birds build nests in repeatable styles and, if so, whether styles were associated with past nest-building experience. Laboratory, captive bred zebra finches in an Experimental group were given nest-building experience, whereas, birds in a Control group were not. Each pair (n = 20) then built four nests that underwent image analyses for nest size, geometric shape and entrance orientation. Birds built nests in repeatable styles, with lower morphometric variation among nests built by the same pair and higher morphometric variation among nests built by different pairs. Morphology was not associated with construction time, body weight, nor age of birds. We found lower morphometric variation among nests built by the Experimental group, which also used less material to build nests compared to the Control group. Prior experience may therefore have been advantageous, as learning to reduce material usage while achieving a similar product (nest) may have lowered building costs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anna Nevoit
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Deborah Yun
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Connor T. Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Sara C. Blunk
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Lauren M. Guillette
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
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3
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Santema P, Kempenaers B. Patterns of extra-territorial nest-box visits in a songbird suggest a role in extrapair mating. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:150-159. [PMID: 36789396 PMCID: PMC9918859 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals make visits outside of their territory during the breeding period, but these are typically infrequent and difficult to observe. As a consequence, comprehensive data on extra-territorial movements at the population-level are scarce and the function of this behavior remains poorly understood. Using an automated nest-box visit tracking system in a wild blue tit population over six breeding seasons, we recorded all extra-territorial nest-box visits (n = 22 137) related to 1195 individual breeding attempts (761 unique individuals). Sixty-two percent of breeders made at least one extra-territorial visit between the onset of nest building and the day of fledging of their offspring, and individuals visited another nest-box on average on 11% of the days during this period. Visit behavior differed clearly between the sexes, with males making over three times as many extra-territorial forays as females. There was a strong overall seasonal decline in visit behavior, but this was sex dependent, with females showing a strong reduction in the number of extra-territorial visits before the onset of egg laying and males showing a strong and sudden reduction on the day their offspring hatched. The likelihood of visiting a particular nest-box declined sharply with the distance to that box, and blue tits almost exclusively visited direct neighbors. Individuals were more likely to have extrapair offspring with an individual whose box they visited, but they were not more likely to disperse to a box they had visited. Thus, our results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that extra-territorial nest-box visits serve to inform dispersal decisions, but suggest that such visits are linked to extrapair mating opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Santema
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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4
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Nimje PS, Mayer M, Zedrosser A, Sæbø M, Rosell F. Territory acquisition and mate choice in a monogamous mammal, the Eurasian beaver. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Abstract
Material culture—that is, group-shared and socially learned object-related behaviour(s)—is a widespread and diverse phenomenon in humans. For decades, researchers have sought to confirm the existence of material culture in non-human animals; however, the main study systems of interest—namely, tool making and/or using non-human primates and corvids—cannot provide such confirmatory evidence: because long-standing ethical and logistical constraints handicap the collection of necessary experimental data. Synthesizing evidence across decades and disciplines, here, I present a novel framework for (mechanistic, developmental, behavioural, and comparative) study on animal material culture: avian nest construction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis J Breen
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
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6
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Brandl HB, Farine DR, Funghi C, Schuett W, Griffith SC. Early-life social environment predicts social network position in wild zebra finches. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182579. [PMID: 30963840 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life experience can fundamentally shape individual life-history trajectories. Previous research has suggested that exposure to stress during development causes differences in social behaviour later in life. In captivity, juvenile zebra finches exposed to elevated corticosterone levels were less socially choosy and more central in their social networks when compared to untreated siblings. These differences extended to other aspects of social life, with 'stress-exposed' juveniles switching social learning strategies and juvenile males less faithfully learning their father's song. However, while this body of research suggests that the impacts of early-life stress could be profound, it remains unknown whether such effects are strong enough to be expressed under natural conditions. Here, we collected data on social associations of zebra finches in the Australian desert after experimentally manipulating brood sizes. Juveniles from enlarged broods experienced heightened sibling competition, and we predicted that they would express similar patterns of social associations to stress-treated birds in the captive study by having more, but less differentiated, relationships. We show striking support for the suggested consequences of developmental stress on social network positions, with our data from the wild replicating the same results in 9 out of 10 predictions previously tested in captivity. Chicks raised in enlarged broods foraged with greater numbers of conspecifics but were less 'choosy' and more central in the social network. Our results confirm that the natural range of variation in early-life experience can be sufficient to predict individuals' social trajectories and support theory highlighting the potential importance of developmental conditions on behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanja B Brandl
- 1 Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.,2 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney , Australia.,3 School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales , Australia
| | - Damien R Farine
- 4 Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , Konstanz , Germany.,5 Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz , Konstanz , Germany.,6 Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz , Konstanz , Germany.,7 Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
| | - Caterina Funghi
- 1 Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.,2 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney , Australia.,3 School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales , Australia
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- 1 Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.,3 School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales , Australia.,8 School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex , Brighton , UK
| | - Simon C Griffith
- 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney , Australia.,3 School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales , Australia
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Cooper CE, Withers PC, Hurley LL, Griffith SC. The Field Metabolic Rate, Water Turnover, and Feeding and Drinking Behavior of a Small Avian Desert Granivore During a Summer Heatwave. Front Physiol 2019; 10:1405. [PMID: 31824330 PMCID: PMC6879461 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Global environmental change is leading to an increase in the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events, so effective environmental management requires an understanding not only of the physiological response of organisms to increased mean temperatures, but also to extreme environmental conditions. To determine the physiological consequences of heatwaves on energy and water balance of arid-adapted zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), we measured field metabolic rate and water turnover rate of wild, free-living finches during a heatwave (consecutive days of maximum ambient temperature of 40–45°C) and during a cooler period (maximum ambient temperature of 28°C) during a summer drought. To understand how birds accommodated their energy and water requirements, we also monitored feeding and drinking behavior of zebra finches at the study site on hot and cold days over 2.5 months during the same summer. Zebra finches can accommodate heatwaves without major impacts on field energy or water turnover, even when the heatwave is superimposed on high summer temperatures and long-term drought, so long as drinking water is available. In fact, cooler periods may pose a greater energetic challenge than heatwaves during drought, when food availability is limited, due to the increased thermoregulatory cost of maintaining a high body temperature against a thermal gradient. Zebra finches avoided or limited activity during the most thermally challenging periods of the day. Their pre-emptive feeding and drinking in preparation for hours of relative inactivity at high ambient temperature, together with a high body water content and reduced midday activity and metabolic heat production, enabled zebra finches to maintain body mass during a heatwave. Predicting upcoming periods of unfavorably high ambient temperature, together with a high body water content, may be essential for survival by desert birds of extreme ambient temperature during heatwaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Elizabeth Cooper
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Philip Carew Withers
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | - Simon Charles Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Brandl HB, Griffith SC, Farine DR, Schuett W. Wild zebra finches that nest synchronously have long-term stable social ties. J Anim Ecol 2019; 90:76-86. [PMID: 31407336 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Many animals live and breed in colonies, and yet, with just a few exceptions, the value of the social bonds between colony members has rarely been examined. Social ties are important for group coordination at collective tasks, and social coordination can facilitate synchronized reproduction among colony members. Synchronized reproduction in turn can amplify the benefits of coloniality, such as social foraging and predator avoidance. We conducted a field study to investigate whether synchronized reproduction among individuals in replicated colonies is linked to the strength of their social bond, and whether these strong bonds are maintained beyond the reproductive period. We PIT-tagged wild zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), monitoring their reproduction and social foraging over two consecutive years. We then used social network analysis to characterize the strength of social bonds among birds in the population. We show that birds that are more synchronized in their reproductive timing (and breed in the same colony) had significantly stronger social ties both during and after reproduction than expected by chance. Our long-term sampling also revealed that the strong social ties between synchronized breeders were carried over across years. Our study reveals a strong correspondence between synchronized breeding and the social structure of the breeding colony. This suggests that the synchrony between pairs is not a simple process based on opportunity, but a mechanism underpinned by more complex sociality, which could be carried over to other behavioural contexts. The maintenance of cross-contextual social ties across years suggests that social structure could have extensive consequences on the overall life history of individuals in addition to playing a key role for the reproductive dynamics of colonial breeders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanja B Brandl
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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Bailey LD, Ens BJ, Both C, Heg D, Oosterbeek K, van de Pol M. Habitat selection can reduce effects of extreme climatic events in a long-lived shorebird. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1474-1485. [PMID: 31175665 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Changes in the frequency of extreme climatic events (ECEs) can have profound impacts on individual fitness by degrading habitat quality. Organisms may respond to such changes through habitat selection, favouring those areas less affected by ECEs; however, documenting habitat selection in response to ECEs is difficult in the wild due to the rarity of such events and the long-term biological data required. Sea level rise and changing weather patterns over the past decades have led to an increase in the frequency of coastal flooding events, with serious consequences for ground nesting shorebirds. Shorebirds therefore present a useful natural study system to understand habitat selection as a response to ECEs. We used a 32-year study of the Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) to investigate whether habitat selection can lead to an increase in nest elevation and minimize the impacts of coastal flooding. The mean nest elevation of H. ostralegus has increased during the last three decades. We hypothesized that this change has been driven by changes in H. ostralegus territory settlement patterns over time. We compared various possible habitat selection cues to understand what information H. ostralegus might use to inform territory settlement. There was a clear relationship between elevation and territory settlement in H. ostralegus. In early years, settlements were more likely at low elevations but in more recent years the likelihood of settlement was similar between high and low elevation areas. Territory settlement was associated with conspecific fledgling output and conspecific density. Settlement was more likely in areas of high density and areas with high fledgling output. This study shows that habitat selection can minimize the effects of increasingly frequent ECEs. However, it seems unlikely that the changes we observe will fully alleviate the consequences of anthropogenic climate change. Rates of nest elevation increase were insufficient to track current increases in maximum high tide (0.5 vs. 0.8 cm/year). Furthermore, habitat selection cues that rely on information from previous breeding seasons (e.g. conspecific fledgling output) may become ineffective as ECEs become more frequent and environmental predictability is diminished.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam D Bailey
- Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bruno J Ens
- Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dik Heg
- Clinical Trials Unit, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kees Oosterbeek
- Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn van de Pol
- Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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