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Mangini GG, Rutt CL, Sridhar H, Buitron G, Muñoz J, Robinson SK, Montaño-Centellas F, Zarco A, Fanjul ME, Fernández-Arellano G, Xing S, Camerlenghi E. A classification scheme for mixed-species bird flocks. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220100. [PMID: 37066650 PMCID: PMC10107246 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0100] [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: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The literature on mixed-species flocks references a wide variety of bird associations. These studies, however, have used an array of unstructured characteristics to describe flocks, ranging from the temporal occurrence of flocking to the identity and behavioural features of constituent members, with little consensus on which key traits define and characterize a mixed-species flock. Moreover, although most studies report species-specific roles, there is no clear consensus about what these roles signify nor how to define them. This lack of consistency limits our ability to compare flocks from different habitats, regions and species pools. To unify this sizable body of literature, we reviewed and synthesized 538 studies on mixed-species flocks. We propose 13 categories to classify mixed-species flocks using behavioural and physical traits at the flock and participant level, as well as the habitat where the flock occurs. Lastly, we discuss the historical terminology for different species roles and propose definitions to clarify and distinguish among nuclear, leader, sentinel, and flock-following species. We envision that these guidelines will provide a universal language for mixed-species flock research, paving the way for future comparisons and new insight between different regions and systems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mixed-species groups and aggregations: shaping ecological and behavioural patterns and processes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Giselle Mangini
- Instituto de Ecologia Regional (IER) CONICET-UNT, 4107 Yerba Buena, Argentina
| | | | - Hari Sridhar
- Independent Researcher, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560003, India
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Galo Buitron
- Universidad Estatal Amazónica-Sede Académica El Pangui, Zamora Chinchipe, 190401, Ecuador
| | - Jenny Muñoz
- University of British Columbia Biodiversity Research Center, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Scott K. Robinson
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Agustin Zarco
- Instituto Argentino de Investigación en las Zonas Áridas (IADIZA) CONICET, 5500 Mendoza, Argentina
- Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara, 1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M. Elisa Fanjul
- Instituto de Vertebrados, Zoología, Fundación Miguel Lillo, 4000 Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML – Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, 4000 Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Gilberto Fernández-Arellano
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso – UFMT, 78060-900 Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Shuang Xing
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, 518107 Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ettore Camerlenghi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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Werba JA, Stuckert AM, Edwards M, McCoy MW. Stranger danger: A meta-analysis of the dear enemy hypothesis. Behav Processes 2021; 194:104542. [PMID: 34818561 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The dear enemy hypothesis predicts that territorial individuals will be less aggressive toward known neighbors than to strangers. This hypothesis has been well studied and there is a wealth of data demonstrating its prevalence in some taxa. However, a quantitative synthesis is needed to test the generality of the phenomenon, identify key mechanisms driving the behavior, and guide future research. In this study, we conduct a meta-analysis and, we test the importance of the location of intrusion, the type of experiment conducted (field, laboratory, or neutral arenas), and the sex and breeding status of territory holders, on the occurrence of dear enemy behavior. We also test how various ecological and life history traits, such as territory type, stimulus of intrusion, and taxonomic group, affect the magnitude of dear enemy behavior. We find that this phenomenon is common and that taxonomic class and breeding status are correlated with the expression of dear enemy behaviors. Further, we found that the way authors measure aggression influences the likelihood of identifying dear enemy responses, and thus we discuss potential pitfalls of dear enemy studies. Considering this conclusion, we discuss future lines of inquiry that could more directly examine the mechanisms of the dear enemy phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo A Werba
- Department Ecosystem Sciences and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Adam Mm Stuckert
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03857, USA
| | - Matthew Edwards
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Michael W McCoy
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville NC 27858, USA
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Great Himalayan Leaf-Nosed Bats Produce Different Territorial Calls to Respond to Sympatric Species and Non-Living Objects. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10112040. [PMID: 33158294 PMCID: PMC7694401 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Many animals produce keep-out signals to keep intruders from entering their territories. Studies have shown that bats produce territorial calls to defend the conspecifics intrusion. However, it remains unknown whether bats can adjust their territorial calls in response to different types of intruders, such as heterospecifics or non-living objects. We simulated the process of territory defense in male great Himalayan leaf-nosed bats toward two sympatric species and four non-living objects to investigate their acoustic responses. Bats displayed different acoustic responses for different types of intruders, suggesting that territorial calls of male great Himalayan leaf-nosed bats may convey emotional state information when the bats respond to invasion by sympatric species or non-living objects. Our results are valuable for understanding animal cognition and interactions among bat species from an acoustic perspective. Abstract Territorial signals are important for reducing the cost of territory defense. Normally, male animals will produce keep-out signals to repel intruders from entering their territory. However, there is currently no evidence that bats can adjust their territorial calls to respond differently to sympatric species or non-living objects. In this study, we simulated the process of territory defense in male Great Himalayan leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros armiger) toward two sympatric species (Hipposideros pratti and Rhinolophus sinicus) and four different non-living objects (a fur specimen of H. armiger, a bat model, a speaker, and a speaker with playback of H. armiger echolocation calls) to investigate their acoustic responses. There were significant differences in the territorial call complexity, syllable rate, and syllable ratio produced by H. armiger under the different experimental conditions. Our results confirmed that bats can adjust their territorial calls to respond to different sympatric species and non-living objects. The results will further our understanding of animal cognition and interactions among bat species from an acoustic perspective.
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Goodale E, Sridhar H, Sieving KE, Bangal P, Colorado Z GJ, Farine DR, Heymann EW, Jones HH, Krams I, Martínez AE, Montaño-Centellas F, Muñoz J, Srinivasan U, Theo A, Shanker K. Mixed company: a framework for understanding the composition and organization of mixed-species animal groups. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:889-910. [PMID: 32097520 PMCID: PMC7383667 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Mixed-species animal groups (MSGs) are widely acknowledged to increase predator avoidance and foraging efficiency, among other benefits, and thereby increase participants' fitness. Diversity in MSG composition ranges from two to 70 species of very similar or completely different phenotypes. Yet consistency in organization is also observable in that one or a few species usually have disproportionate importance for MSG formation and/or maintenance. We propose a two-dimensional framework for understanding this diversity and consistency, concentrating on the types of interactions possible between two individuals, usually of different species. One axis represents the similarity of benefit types traded between the individuals, while the second axis expresses asymmetry in the relative amount of benefits/costs accrued. Considering benefit types, one extreme represents the case of single-species groups wherein all individuals obtain the same supplementary, group-size-related benefits, and the other extreme comprises associations of very different, but complementary species (e.g. one partner creates access to food while the other provides vigilance). The relevance of social information and the matching of activities (e.g. speed of movement) are highest for relationships on the supplementary side of this axis, but so is competition; relationships between species will occur at points along this gradient where the benefits outweigh the costs. Considering benefit amounts given or received, extreme asymmetry occurs when one species is exclusively a benefit provider and the other a benefit user. Within this parameter space, some MSG systems are constrained to one kind of interaction, such as shoals of fish of similar species or leader-follower interactions in fish and other taxa. Other MSGs, such as terrestrial bird flocks, can simultaneously include a variety of supplementary and complementary interactions. We review the benefits that species obtain across the diversity of MSG types, and argue that the degree and nature of asymmetry between benefit providers and users should be measured and not just assumed. We then discuss evolutionary shifts in MSG types, focusing on drivers towards similarity in group composition, and selection on benefit providers to enhance the benefits they can receive from other species. Finally, we conclude by considering how individual and collective behaviour in MSGs may influence both the structure and processes of communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eben Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Hari Sridhar
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India.,National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Kathryn E Sieving
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| | - Priti Bangal
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Gabriel J Colorado Z
- Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Medellín, 050034, Colombia
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstrasse 10, D-78464, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, D-78464, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, D-78464, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Eckhard W Heymann
- Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Harrison H Jones
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A.,Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51410, Estonia.,Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, 1004, Latvia
| | - Ari E Martínez
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA, 90840, U.S.A
| | - Flavia Montaño-Centellas
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A.,Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Mayor de San Andres, La Paz, 10077, Bolivia
| | - Jenny Muñoz
- Zoology Department and Biodiversity Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1ZA, Canada
| | - Umesh Srinivasan
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08540, U.S.A
| | - Anne Theo
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Kartik Shanker
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560012, India.,Dakshin Foundation, Bengaluru, 560092, India
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