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Jenner BM, Lewis TR. Environmental Conditions and Vehicle Disturbance Influence Stress Behaviors in a Working Harris's Hawk ( Parabuteo unicinctus). J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2024; 27:373-385. [PMID: 37753923 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2023.2253143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) is used for pest control, as their presence can deter wild birds such as gulls. Working Harris's hawk on UK waste sites is permitted in accordance with regulations and legislation. This study investigated the general environment of a waste site compound yard where a single Harris's hawk was flown for pest control. The hawk's behaviors were evaluated in an ethogram, alongside environmental measures, and disturbance levels. Data was analyzed using Generalised Linear Latent Variable Models (GLLVM) to elucidate the effects of disturbance and environment on hawk behaviors. Results suggested cloudy conditions encouraged grooming responses that were normal and relaxed in their nature. Rain, sun and wind conditions increased recognized stress behaviors. Frequency of disturbance by construction vehicles inside the compound increased stress behaviors, such that keepers are recommended to revise welfare conditions. Increased stress behaviors by birds worked in dynamic environments like waste recycling yards could potentially elicit damaging illness such as feather breaking behavior. Reducing stress factors for Harris's hawk in industrial working yards combined with amending husbandry practices will improve welfare for the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryony M Jenner
- Department Animal Welfare and Science, Kingston Maurward College, Dorchester, UK
| | - Todd R Lewis
- Department Geography and Environmental Management, UWE Bristol -Frenchay Campus, Bristol, UK
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2
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Wang C, Zhao X, Tao B, Peng J, Wang H, Yu J, Jin L. Do domestic budgerigars perceive predation risk? Anim Cogn 2024; 27:8. [PMID: 38429588 PMCID: PMC10907484 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01847-9] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Predation risk may affect the foraging behavior of birds. However, there has been little research on the ability of domestic birds to perceive predation risk and thus adjust their feeding behavior. In this study, we tested whether domestic budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) perceived predation risk after the presentation of specimens and sounds of sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus), domestic cats (Felis catus), and humans, and whether this in turn influenced their feeding behavior. When exposed to visual or acoustic stimuli, budgerigars showed significantly longer latency to feed under sparrowhawk, domestic cat, and human treatments than with controls. Budgerigars responded more strongly to acoustic stimuli than visual stimuli, and they showed the longest latency to feed and the least number of feeding times in response to sparrowhawk calls. Moreover, budgerigars showed shorter latency to feed and greater numbers of feeding times in response to human voices than to sparrowhawk or domestic cat calls. Our results suggest that domestic budgerigars may identify predation risk through visual or acoustic signals and adjust their feeding behavior accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Wang
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Xueqi Zhao
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Baodan Tao
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Jiaqi Peng
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Jiangping Yu
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.
| | - Longru Jin
- Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.
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Zuckerberg B, McCabe JD, Gilbert NA. Antipredator behaviors in urban settings: Ecological experimentation powered by citizen science. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9269. [PMID: 36177137 PMCID: PMC9461346 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9269] [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: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behaviors are often modified in urban settings due to changes in species assemblages and interactions. The ability of prey to respond to a predator is a critical behavior, but urban populations may experience altered predation pressure, food supplementation, and other human‐mediated disturbances that modify their responsiveness to predation risk and promote habituation. Citizen‐science programs generally focus on the collection and analysis of observational data (e.g., bird checklists), but there has been increasing interest in the engagement of citizen scientists for ecological experimentation. Our goal was to implement a behavioral experiment in which citizen scientists recorded antipredator behaviors in wild birds occupying urban areas. In North America, increasing populations of Accipiter hawks have colonized suburban and urban areas and regularly prey upon birds that frequent backyard bird feeders. This scenario, of an increasingly common avian predator hunting birds near human dwellings, offers a unique opportunity to characterize antipredator behaviors within urban passerines. For two winters, we engaged citizen scientists in Chicago, IL, USA to deploy a playback experiment and record antipredator behaviors in backyard birds. If backyard birds maintained their antipredator behaviors, we hypothesized that birds would decrease foraging behaviors and increase vigilance in response to a predator cue (hawk playback) but that these responses would be mediated by flock size, presence of sentinel species, body size, tree cover, and amount of surrounding urban area. Using a randomized control–treatment design, citizen scientists at 15 sites recorded behaviors from 3891 individual birds representing 22 species. Birds were more vigilant and foraged less during the playback of a hawk call, and these responses were strongest for individuals within larger flocks and weakest in larger‐bodied birds. We did not find effects of sentinel species, tree cover, or urbanization. By deploying a behavioral experiment, we found that backyard birds inhabiting urban landscapes largely maintained antipredator behaviors of increased vigilance and decreased foraging in response to predator cues. Experimentation in citizen science poses challenges (e.g., observation bias, sample size limitations, and reduced complexity in protocol design), but unlike programs focused solely on observational data, experimentation allows researchers to disentangle the complex factors underlying animal behavior and species interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Zuckerberg
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Jennifer D McCabe
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison Wisconsin USA.,The Peregrine Fund Boise Idaho USA
| | - Neil A Gilbert
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
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Robert A, Melo M, Lengagne T, Julien S, Gomez D, Doutrelant C. Patterns of bird song evolution on islands support the character release hypothesis in tropical but not in temperate latitudes. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1580-1591. [PMID: 34510616 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The character release hypothesis-which predicts that a decline in interspecific competition leads to the expansion of trait expression-remains to be tested for communication signals. Taking advantage of the fact that oceanic islands host fewer species than the mainland, we tested whether island birds show an increase in frequency bandwidth of acoustic signals compared with mainland birds. Given the higher animal diversity and more saturated acoustic space in the tropics, we expected acoustic character release, if any, to be stronger in the tropics than in the temperate zone. We field recorded 22 bird species (11 pairs consisting of an endemic island species and its closest mainland relative) breeding at similar latitudes and in similar habitats: six tropical pairs (São Tomé Island/Mount Cameroon) and five temperate pairs (Madeira Island/southern France). For each species, we measured the degree of acoustic interference experienced when vocalizing and the spectral characteristics of its song (minimum and maximum frequencies, bandwidth). As expected, island species spent more time vocalizing alone, and any overlap in vocalizations involved fewer species. The vocalizations of island species spanned broader frequency bandwidths than their mainland counterparts in the tropics (true for all six pairs), but this pattern was less evident in the temperate region (2/5 pairs with no marked differences and 1/5 with opposite pattern). Overall, the character release of communication signals only occurred where the differential in number of species was large (tropics). We discuss latitude differences and the potential factors driving the observed differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aloïs Robert
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Univ. Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Martim Melo
- CIBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBio Laboratório Associado, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal.,MHNC-UP Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Thierry Lengagne
- UMR 5023 Université de Lyon, Écologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université, ENTPE, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Sacha Julien
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Univ. Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Doris Gomez
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Univ. Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
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Wang Y, Tian M, Liu J, Lu X, Møller AP, Xia C. Testing the Interspecific Function of Female Common Cuckoo “Bubbling” Call. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.725222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Female common cuckoo (Cuculus canorous) predator-like “bubbling” calls distract host parental attention and reduce the egg rejection rate. Such “bubbling” calls are also frequently used to attract males and deter territorial rivals in intraspecies contact, and these calls are an ancestral character in many cuckoo species. Although hosts have had sufficient time to become familiar with this call and evolve anti-parasitic strategies, why are the hosts fooled by this “bubbling” call? We propose two hypotheses. The first hypothesis proposes that call variation reduces the opportunity for host species to correctly assess cuckoo tricks. In contrast, the second hypothesis proposes that the cost of behavior may prevent the antiparasitic strategy from evolving. In the study, we tested the prerequisites of these hypotheses, by investigating whether cuckoo calls vary during the day and testing whether the predator-like calls suppress bird activities. Based on field recordings from three different areas, we found high overlap in the calls generated during different periods. Oriental great reed warblers (Acrocephalus orientalis), a host species, did not show different responses toward the playback of female common cuckoo calls generated before noon or afternoon. Based on bird count data, we found that predator-like call playback is insufficient for suppressing bird activities. Therefore, none of the prerequisites were supported by our field data. We discuss the potential reasons for our findings and hope to inspire more research examining female cuckoo vocalizations.
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Bai J, Freeberg TM, Lucas JR, Sieving KE. A community context for aggression? Multi-species audience effects on territorial aggression in two species of Paridae. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5305-5319. [PMID: 34026008 PMCID: PMC8131767 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Territorial aggression in birds is widely observed and is commonly linked to sex, age, body size, physiology, seasonal cues, food resource, urbanization, and a variety of social contexts including conspecific audience effects. However, little is known about the heterospecific audience effects on territorial aggression.Here, we address an emerging idea that heterospecific audience effects may be pervasive influences in the social lives of free-living birds. We tested the hypothesis that the composition, number, and relative body size of heterospecific audiences observing an aggressive contest will influence the response probability and intensity of aggression displayed.We subjected two Paridae species, tufted titmouse (TUTI, Baeolophus bicolor) and Carolina chickadee (CACH, Poecile carolinensis), to playbacks of aggressive calls during a breeding season in north-central Florida. At widely spaced playback sites (N = 134) in woodland habitats, we characterized the makeup of heterospecific audiences, aggression type (intra vs. interspecific territoriality), local population density, and various environmental factors (tree density, wind speed, and noise level) that are likely to influence territorial aggression.We found that the presence of heterospecific audiences increased TUTI aggression levels and that both parids were more likely to respond to playback stimuli when their audiences had higher heterospecific diversity (more heterospecific individuals and species). We also found TUTI were more likely to respond when CACH were present but not vice versa.In conclusion, we found evidence that heterospecific audiences significantly influenced the metrics of territorial aggression of free-living animals and we suggest that the definition of audience effects on the behavior of free-living animals be expanded to incorporate heterospecific audiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Bai
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - Todd M. Freeberg
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Tennessee – KnoxvilleKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - Jeffrey R. Lucas
- Department of Biological SciencesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
| | - Kathryn E. Sieving
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and ConservationUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
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Santema P, Valcu M, Clinchy M, Zanette L, Kempenaers B. Playback of predator calls inhibits and delays dawn singing in a songbird community. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Songbirds sing less and start singing later when faced with an increase in perceived predation risk. Perceived predation risk can have substantial behavioral effects on prey species, but whether or not it affects dawn singing – an important sexual signal - remains unknown. We played back predator calls in a songbird community throughout the breeding season to simulate increased predation risk and found that the majority of species inhibited or delayed their dawn song.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Santema
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Mihai Valcu
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Michael Clinchy
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Liana Zanette
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Strasse, Seewiesen, Germany
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Ellison AM, Ydenberg R. Risk allocation: acute and chronic predator exposure have contrasting effects on Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) singing behaviour. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Increasing the danger posed by predators may cause prey animals to alter their behaviour. For example, they may be more vigilant and so feed more slowly. Breeding male Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia (A. Wilson, 1810)) spend much time in conspicuous, loud song, which is an important behaviour for territorial defense and for mate attraction. We measured their singing behaviour in relation to both chronic (active Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii (Bonaparte, 1828)) nest nearby) and acute (playback of hawk calls) predator exposure. We found that proximity to a Cooper’s Hawk nest had little or no influence. In contrast, the response to acute exposure was strong and immediate: Song Sparrows reduced the song rate and the proportion of time spent singing, lowered perch height, and increased concealment. The decline in the amount of song during the few minutes following playback attributable to the acute exposure was 34.6%. We analyze these results in light of theories about how animals adjust risk taking in response to predation danger. Given that the numbers of their predators have risen steadily for the past few decades and affect the level of singing, we consider the implications for trend estimates of songbird populations based on surveys using auditory methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ron Ydenberg
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
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9
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Jakubowska A, Osiejuk TS. Sing softly to evoke a response only from a recent intruder. Behav Processes 2018; 157:244-249. [PMID: 30366107 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Low-amplitude soft songs have been described in many birds, but in most species, research has addressed only broadcast songs. Soft songs may have a similar or distinctive structure in comparison to broadcast songs produced in order to defend a territory and attract females. In some species, such soft songs were found to be produced in an aggressive context and were the best predictors of conflict escalation and later physical attack. However, such observations are not consistent across all species studied. Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the function(s) of soft songs and why they are so quiet. Studies on the ortolan bunting (Emberiza hortulana) show that males produce soft songs similar in structure to broadcast songs during close interactions with conspecific intruders. However, experiments with the playback of loud and soft songs as well as taxidermic mount presentation revealed that soft song in this species does not fulfil aggressive signal criteria. Here we performed an experiment with two loudspeakers simulating movements of the intruder in order to test whether the soft songs are used to evoking a response from a nearby but not localised rival. We found that males responded with similar strength to songs played back from single and double speaker systems. Simultaneously, males produced more soft songs during and just after the phase of the experiment in which we simulated short flights of the intruder. Our results indicate that soft songs might be used during close interactions with rivals without being an aggressive signal and are used as short-range signals to check if the rival is still around. Our results also provide an alternative explanation of soft song behaviour in comparison to the hypotheses of eavesdropping avoidance and readiness to fight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Jakubowska
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Tomasz S Osiejuk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
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10
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Moran IG, Doucet SM, Newman AEM, Ryan Norris D, Mennill DJ. Quiet violence: Savannah Sparrows respond to playback-simulated rivals using low-amplitude songs as aggressive signals. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ines G. Moran
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Stéphanie M. Doucet
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Amy E. M. Newman
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - D. Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - Daniel J. Mennill
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor Ontario Canada
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11
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Jakubowska A, Osiejuk TS. Soft songs in male ortolan buntings are used in an aggressive context but are not an aggressive signal. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Jakubowska
- Department of Behavioural Ecology; Faculty of Biology; Institute of Environmental Sciences; Adam Mickiewicz University; Poznań Poland
| | - Tomasz S. Osiejuk
- Department of Behavioural Ecology; Faculty of Biology; Institute of Environmental Sciences; Adam Mickiewicz University; Poznań Poland
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12
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Niederhauser JM, DuBois AL, Searcy WA, Nowicki S, Anderson RC. A test of the eavesdropping avoidance hypothesis as an explanation for the structure of low-amplitude aggressive signals in the song sparrow. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2469-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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14
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Krieg CA, Burnett AD. Female House Wrens may Use a Low‐Amplitude Call as an Aggressive Signal. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cara A. Krieg
- Department of Integrative Biology Michigan State University East Lansing MI USA
- W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Hickory Corners MI USA
| | - Alexandra D. Burnett
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment University of Arizona Tucson AZ USA
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16
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Abolins-Abols M, Hope SF, Ketterson ED. Effect of acute stressor on reproductive behavior differs between urban and rural birds. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:6546-6555. [PMID: 27777728 PMCID: PMC5058526 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The life‐history trade‐off between self‐maintenance and reproduction posits that investment in one function decreases investment in the other. Manipulating the costs and benefits of functions involved in a trade‐off may alter this interaction. Here we ask whether investment in self‐maintenance during a stress response alters territorial behavior in wild Dark‐eyed Juncos and whether rural and urban birds, which are known to differ in the magnitude of the stress response (greater in rural), also differ in the degree to which stress reduces territorial behavior. In rural and urban habitats, we measured territorial behavior using song playback, followed by either an acute stressor (capture and collection of a blood sample) or a nonstressful control situation. The following day, we again measured territorial behavior, predicting greater reduction in territorial behavior in individuals exposed to the stressor but a lesser reduction in territorial behavior in the urban as compared to the rural environment. We further assessed individual and population differences in response to stressors by measuring flight initiation distance, breath rate, and corticosterone levels in the blood. The rural population had a higher physiological and behavioral stress response than the urban population, and acute capture stress had a lasting (24 h) negative effect on territorial behavior, but only in the rural habitat. However, individual‐level differences in measures of the stress response did not explain variation in the impact of stress on territorial behavior. Our findings show that stressors can have a negative effect on territorial behavior, but that this effect may differ between populations that vary in their stress ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sydney F Hope
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Tech Blacksburg Virginia
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17
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Akçay Ç, Campbell SE, Beecher MD. The fitness consequences of honesty: Under-signalers have a survival advantage in song sparrows. Evolution 2015; 69:3186-93. [PMID: 26573880 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 10/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
How honest or reliable signaling can evolve and be maintained has been a major question in evolutionary biology. The question is especially puzzling for a particular class of signals used in aggressive interactions: threat signals. Here, we report a study on song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) in which we assayed males with playbacks on their territories to quantify their aggressiveness (flights and close proximity) and aggressive signaling levels (rates of soft song, a close-range signal reliably predicting attack) and asked whether these traits affect individuals' survival on territory. We found that the effect of aggressive signaling via soft song interacted with aggressive behaviors such that there was a negative correlational selection: among males with low aggression, those males that signaled at higher levels (over-signalers) had higher survival whereas among males with high aggression those that signaled at low levels (under-signalers) survived longer. In other words, males that deviate from reliable signaling have a survival advantage. These results, along with previous research that suggested most of the deviation from reliable signaling in this system is in the form of under-signaling (high-aggression males signaling at low levels) pose a puzzle for future research on how this reliable signaling system is maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Çağlar Akçay
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061.
| | | | - Michael D Beecher
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
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