TY - JOUR
T1 - Female Lincoln’s sparrows modulate their behavior in response to variation in male song quality
AU - Caro, S.P.
AU - Sewall, K.B.
AU - Salvante, K.G.
AU - Sockman, K.W.
N1 - Reporting year: 2010
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Sexually reproducing organisms should mate with the highest quality individuals that they can. When female songbirds choose
a mate, they are thought to use several aspects of male song that reflect his quality. Under resource-limited environmental
conditions, male Lincoln’s sparrows (Melospiza lincolnii) vary among one another in several aspects of song quality, including song
length, song complexity, and trill performance. In a 2-pronged approach, we tested whether variation in song quality of male
Lincoln’s sparrows influences the behavior of females that are in a reproductive-like state. Over two trials, we exposed females to
songs from the high and low ends of the distribution of naturally occurring song quality variation and found a higher level of
behavioral activity in females exposed to high-quality songs, especially when they had first been exposed to low-quality songs. We
also examined female phonotaxis toward antiphonally played songs with experimentally elevated and reduced trill performance
and found that females moved preferentially toward the songs with elevated trill performance. Contrary to most studies investigating
the behavioral responses of wild, female songbirds to variation in male song, we obtained our results without
administering exogenous estradiol, which can artificially perturb the female’s physiology. Our results demonstrate that the
behavior of female Lincoln’s sparrows is modulated by the quality of male songs to which they are exposed and that trill
performance plays a significant role in this behavioral modulation. Furthermore, as the order of song quality presentation
matters, it appears that recent song experience also influences female behavior. Key words: bird song, mate choice, Melospiza
lincolnii, phonotaxis, sexual selection, song playback, trill performance, vocal performance
AB - Sexually reproducing organisms should mate with the highest quality individuals that they can. When female songbirds choose
a mate, they are thought to use several aspects of male song that reflect his quality. Under resource-limited environmental
conditions, male Lincoln’s sparrows (Melospiza lincolnii) vary among one another in several aspects of song quality, including song
length, song complexity, and trill performance. In a 2-pronged approach, we tested whether variation in song quality of male
Lincoln’s sparrows influences the behavior of females that are in a reproductive-like state. Over two trials, we exposed females to
songs from the high and low ends of the distribution of naturally occurring song quality variation and found a higher level of
behavioral activity in females exposed to high-quality songs, especially when they had first been exposed to low-quality songs. We
also examined female phonotaxis toward antiphonally played songs with experimentally elevated and reduced trill performance
and found that females moved preferentially toward the songs with elevated trill performance. Contrary to most studies investigating
the behavioral responses of wild, female songbirds to variation in male song, we obtained our results without
administering exogenous estradiol, which can artificially perturb the female’s physiology. Our results demonstrate that the
behavior of female Lincoln’s sparrows is modulated by the quality of male songs to which they are exposed and that trill
performance plays a significant role in this behavioral modulation. Furthermore, as the order of song quality presentation
matters, it appears that recent song experience also influences female behavior. Key words: bird song, mate choice, Melospiza
lincolnii, phonotaxis, sexual selection, song playback, trill performance, vocal performance
U2 - 10.1093/beheco/arq022
DO - 10.1093/beheco/arq022
M3 - Article
SN - 1045-2249
VL - 21
SP - 562
EP - 569
JO - Behavioral Ecology
JF - Behavioral Ecology
IS - 3
ER -