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Adam I, Riebel K, Stål P, Wood N, Previs MJ, Elemans CPH. Daily vocal exercise is necessary for peak performance singing in a songbird. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7787. [PMID: 38086817 PMCID: PMC10716414 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43592-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Vocal signals, including human speech and birdsong, are produced by complicated, precisely coordinated body movements, whose execution is fitness-determining in resource competition and mate choice. While the acquisition and maintenance of motor skills generally requires practice to develop and maintain both motor circuitry and muscle performance, it is unknown whether vocal muscles, like limb muscles, exhibit exercise-induced plasticity. Here, we show that juvenile and adult zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis) require daily vocal exercise to first gain and subsequently maintain peak vocal muscle performance. Experimentally preventing male birds from singing alters both vocal muscle physiology and vocal performance within days. Furthermore, we find females prefer song of vocally exercised males in choice experiments. Vocal output thus contains information on recent exercise status, and acts as an honest indicator of past exercise investment in songbirds, and possibly in all vocalising vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Adam
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Katharina Riebel
- Institute of Biology, Animal Sciences & Health, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Per Stål
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umea University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Neil Wood
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, NJ, USA
| | - Michael J Previs
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, NJ, USA
| | - Coen P H Elemans
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
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Brumm H, de Framond L, Goymann W. Territorial behaviour of thrush nightingales outside the breeding season. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230496. [PMID: 37644837 PMCID: PMC10465977 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Territoriality is a common pattern of space use in animals that has fundamental consequences for ecological processes. In the tropics, all-year resident songbirds usually hold territories throughout the year, whereas most all-year resident temperate species are territorial only during the breeding season. In long-distance migrants, however, the situation is mostly unexplored. Here, we report findings from a Palaearctic-African migrant, the thrush nightingale Luscinia luscina. We found that only a fraction of the males was territorial in their East African winter quarters and that this was related to the stage of their song development. Individuals with full song were territorial towards other full songsters, but not towards birds that sang plastic song (i.e. an earlier stage of song development). Plastic singers were not territorial towards full songsters and often settled closely to territorial males. We suggest that territoriality of thrush nightingales in the winter quarters may be a by-product of rising testosterone levels that trigger song crystallization. Collectively, our study indicates that changes in territoriality can occur rapidly, giving rise to shifting proportions of territorial and non-territorial individuals in a population, which may lead to complex dynamics in settlement patterns and resulting ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Brumm
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Léna de Framond
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Goymann
- Department of Behavioural Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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Rose EM, Prior NH, Ball GF. The singing question: re-conceptualizing birdsong. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:326-342. [PMID: 34609054 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Birdsong has been the subject of broad research from a variety of sub-disciplines and has taught us much about the evolution, function, and mechanisms driving animal communication and cognition. Typically, birdsong refers to the specialized vocalizations produced by oscines. Historically, much of the research on birdsong was conducted in north temperate regions (specifically in Europe and North America) leading to multiple biases. Due to these historic biases these vocalizations are generally considered to be highly sexually dimorphic, heavily shaped by sexual selection and essential for courtship and territoriality. Song is also typically defined as a learned trait shaped by cultural evolution. Together, this framework focuses research specifically on males, particularly during the north temperate breeding season - reflecting and thereby reinforcing this framework. The physiological underpinnings of song often emphasize the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (associated with breeding changes) and the song control system (underlying vocal learning). Over the years there has been great debate over which features of song are essential to the definition of birdsong, which features apply broadly to contexts outside males in the north temperate region, and over the importance of having a definition at all. Importantly, the definitions we use can both guide and limit the progress of research. Here, we describe the history of these definitions, and how these definitions have directed and restricted research to focus on male song in sexually selected contexts. Additionally, we highlight the gaps in our scientific knowledge, especially with respect to the function and physiological mechanisms underlying song in females and in winter, as well as in non-seasonally breeding species. Furthermore, we highlight the problems with using complexity and learning as dichotomous variables to categorize songs and calls. Across species, no one characteristic of song - sexual dimorphism, seasonality, complexity, sexual selection, learning - consistently delineates song from other songbird vocal communication. We provide recommendations for next steps to build an inclusive information framework that will allow researchers to explore nuances in animal communication and promote comparative research. Specifically, we recommend that researchers should operationalize the axis of variation most relevant to their study/species by identifying their specific question and the variable(s) of focus (e.g. seasonality). Researchers should also identify the axis (axes) of variation (e.g. degree of control by testosterone) most relevant to their study and use language consistent with the question and axis (axes) of variation (e.g. control by testosterone in the seasonal vocal production of birds).
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangeline M Rose
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, U.S.A.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, 0219 Cole Student Activities Building, 4090 Union Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, U.S.A
| | - Nora H Prior
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, U.S.A.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, 0219 Cole Student Activities Building, 4090 Union Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, U.S.A
| | - Gregory F Ball
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, 4094 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, U.S.A.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, 0219 Cole Student Activities Building, 4090 Union Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, U.S.A
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A migratory sparrow has personality in winter that is independent of other traits. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Brlík V, Malmiga G, Dimitrov D, Emmenegger T, Gavrilov A, Hasselquist D, Peev S, Willemoes M, Yohannes E, Hahn S, Hansson B, Procházka P. Population-specific assessment of carry-over effects across the range of a migratory songbird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02929-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Phillips JN, Katti M. Anthropogenic noise affects winter song structure of a long-distance migrant, Gambel’s white-crowned sparrow. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juaa003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractMany animals learn to produce acoustic signals that are used to attract mates and defend territories. The structure of these signals can be influenced by external features of the environment, including the anthropogenic soundscape. In many sedentary species, habitat features and soundscape appears to influence the cultural evolution of songs, often with tradeoffs for better transmission over sexually selected song structure. However, none have investigated whether noise on the wintering grounds affects song structure, which for long-distance migrants may result in an acoustic ‘mismatch’ when returning to a breeding ground. This study investigates urban noise effects on song structure in a long-distance migrant, Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii, on the wintering grounds in the Fresno Clovis Metropolitan Area and in outlying non-urban areas. Songs and background noise levels were recorded concurrently, and song measurements of frequency and duration were examined differences across noise levels and habitats . We found that the buzz and trill decrease in bandwidth in the presence of noise. The length of the whistle and buzz portion of the song also tends to decreases with noise in urban habitats. This trend toward short, pure tones in noisy areas may transmit better in noisy urban winter habitats, but may not be adaptive on quieter breeding grounds. We suggest that future studies should consider whether winter auditory feedback and song learning environments have consequences for song crystallization and breeding success for long-distance migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Madhusudan Katti
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Jordan Hall Addition 5223, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
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Singing behind the stage: thrush nightingales produce more variable songs on their wintering grounds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2765-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Labra A, Lampe HM. The songs of male pied flycatchers: exploring the legacy of the fathers. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5397. [PMID: 30083477 PMCID: PMC6076429 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Singing is a key element of songbirds’ behavioral repertoire, particularly for males, which sing during the breeding season to defend resources against other males and to attract females. Different song traits may convey honest information about males’ qualities or conditions, which may be used by females to select their mates. Traits under strong sexual selection have an important component of additive genetic variation (i.e., the main genetic inheritance from parents), and so relatively high heritability; therefore, it can be expected that song traits also do. Although the act of singing is an innate behavior, and thus, genetically determined, songbirds need to learn their songs and therefore the genetic contribution to song traits may be reduced by the effect of environmental factors. We tested this hypothesis in seven song traits recorded in the long-distance migratory bird, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). From a 23-year database (1992–2015), we obtained songs for 28 father–son pairs, and for each song trait we applied parent–offspring regressions to estimate heritability. The type of syllables sung are learned from tutors, and here we also determined the cultural contribution of fathers to the song repertoires of their sons, by quantifying the percentage of syllables that sons shared with their fathers, and compared this with what sons shared with other males in the population (e.g., neighbors). The heritabilities of song traits were highly variable (ranging from −0.22 to 0.56), but most of these were around zero and none of them were significant. These results indicate that the seven song traits are most likely determined by environmental factors. Sons shared more syllables with their fathers than with neighbors (21% vs. 3%), suggesting that fathers are important song tutors during the nestling period. We conclude that there is a cultural inheritance from fathers to their sons’ syllable repertoires, but there is no strong evidence for a genetic contribution of fathers to the seven song traits studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonieta Labra
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Helene M Lampe
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Meier CM, Karaardıç H, Aymí R, Peev SG, Bächler E, Weber R, Witvliet W, Liechti F. What makes Alpine swift ascend at twilight? Novel geolocators reveal year-round flight behaviour. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018; 72:45. [PMID: 29568149 PMCID: PMC5847200 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2438-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Studying individual flight behaviour throughout the year is indispensable to understand the ecology of a bird species. Recent development in technology allows now to track flight behaviour of small long-distance bird migrants throughout its annual cycle. The specific flight behaviour of twilight ascents in birds has been documented in a few studies, but only during a short period of the year, and never quantified on the individual level. It has been suggested that twilight ascents might be a role in orientation and navigation. Previous studies had reported the behaviour only near the breeding site and during migration. We investigated year-round flight behaviour of 34 individual Alpine swifts (Apus melba) of four different populations in relation to twilight ascents. We recorded twilight ascents all around the year and found a twofold higher frequency in ascents during the non-breeding residence phase in Africa compared to all other phases of the year. Dawn ascents were twice as common as dusk ascents and occurred mainly when atmospheric conditions remained stable over a 24-h period. We found no conclusive support that twilight ascents are essential for recalibration of compass cues and landmarks. Data on the wing flapping intensity revealed that high activity at twilight occurred more regularly than the ascents. We therefore conclude that alpine swift generally increase flight activity—also horizontal flight—during the twilight period and we suppose that this increased flight activity, including ascents, might be part of social interactions between individuals. Significance statement Year-round flight altitude tracking with a light-weight multi-sensor tag reveals that Alpine swifts ascend several hundred meters high at twilight regularly. The reason for this behaviour remains unclear and the low-light conditions at this time of the day preclude foraging as a possibility. The frequency and altitude of twilight ascents were highest during the non-breeding period, intermediate during migration and low for active breeders during the breeding phase. We discuss our findings in the context of existing hypotheses on twilight ascent and we propose an additional hypothesis which links twilight ascent with social interaction between flock members. Our study highlights how flight behaviour of individuals of a migratory bird species can be studied even during the sparsely documented non-breeding period. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00265-017-2438-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph M Meier
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Hakan Karaardıç
- Elementary Science Education Department, Education Faculty, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, 07400 Alanya, Turkey
| | - Raül Aymí
- Catalan Ornithological Institute, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, Pl. Leonardo da Vinci, 4-5, 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Strahil G Peev
- 4Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2, Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Erich Bächler
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Roger Weber
- 5Bern University of Applied Sciences Engineering and Information Technology, Jlcoweg 1, 3400 Burgdorf, Switzerland
| | - Willem Witvliet
- Willem Witvliet, Zuidersloot 16, 1741 Broek op Langedijk, HL Netherlands
| | - Felix Liechti
- 1Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
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