Females alter their song when challenged in a sex-role reversed bird species Export

@article{citeulike:5497622, abstract = {Abstract\ \ Birdsong serves to attract mates and to deter territorial rivals. Even though song is not restricted to males, this dual function has almost exclusively been demonstrated for male song. To test the generality of hypotheses on birdsong, we investigated female song in the sex-role reversed, classically polyandrous African black coucal (Centropus grillii) in the context of female–female competition. We compared spontaneously vocalizing females with females vocally responding to a playback simulating a conspecific intruder. Females changed vocal parameters in response to playbacks: They lowered the pitch of their vocalizations and enhanced the duration of song elements when being challenged. Also, the composition of the vocalizations was altered. There was no significant correlation between pitch and body size parameters in spontaneous song, but there was for response songs, with larger females having a lower pitch. These changes in vocal properties suggest that the vocalizations are important for mutual assessment of competitive abilities in females. Our findings confirm the general role of intrasexual competition in vocal communication of birds.}, author = {Geberzahn, Nicole and Goymann, Wolfgang and Muck, Christina and Ten Cate, Carel}, citeulike-article-id = {5497622}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-009-0836-0}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www.springerlink.com/content/976470p7v2386n43}, doi = {10.1007/s00265-009-0836-0}, journal = {Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology}, keywords = {bioacoustics, birds, communication, song}, posted-at = {2009-10-12 16:33:35}, priority = {2}, title = {Females alter their song when challenged in a sex-role reversed bird species}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-009-0836-0} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:5497622 L3 - citeulike-article-id:5497622 N2 - Abstract  Birdsong serves to attract mates and to deter territorial rivals. Even though song is not restricted to males, this dual function has almost exclusively been demonstrated for male song. To test the generality of hypotheses on birdsong, we investigated female song in the sex-role reversed, classically polyandrous African black coucal (Centropus grillii) in the context of female–female competition. We compared spontaneously vocalizing females with females vocally responding to a playback simulating a conspecific intruder. Females changed vocal parameters in response to playbacks: They lowered the pitch of their vocalizations and enhanced the duration of song elements when being challenged. Also, the composition of the vocalizations was altered. There was no significant correlation between pitch and body size parameters in spontaneous song, but there was for response songs, with larger females having a lower pitch. These changes in vocal properties suggest that the vocalizations are important for mutual assessment of competitive abilities in females. Our findings confirm the general role of intrasexual competition in vocal communication of birds. JF - Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology TI - Females alter their song when challenged in a sex-role reversed bird species KW - bioacoustics KW - birds KW - communication KW - song AU - Geberzahn, Nicole AU - Goymann, Wolfgang AU - Muck, Christina AU - Ten Cate, Carel UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-009-0836-0 ER -