Individuality in the contact calls of cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus)

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Individuality in the contact calls of cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus). / Sharp, SP; Hatchwell, BJ.
In: Behaviour, Vol. 142, No. 11-12, 2005, p. 1559-1575.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Bibtex

@article{6e63601fc692416fa8a6ac0adb77e782,

title = "Individuality in the contact calls of cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus)",

abstract = "The ability to discriminate between individuals or groups of individuals is important for the evolution of sociality. Individual vocal recognition is thought to be widespread in social birds, yet few studies have investigated its role in cooperatively breeding species. In long-tailed tits, helpers preferentially provide care to close kin, and individuals are able to discriminate between the vocalisations of kin and non-kin. However, the mechanism underlying this recognition system is unknown. Here we quantify the relative variation between and within individuals in three of the contact calls used by this species. Spectrographic cross-correlation revealed that two of these calls, the 'churr' and the 'triple', were individually distinct. We therefore analysed the variation in a series of acoustic parameters in each of these two vocalisations. For both the churr and the triple, discriminant function analysis was able to allocate calls to the correct individuals according to variation in several frequency parameters. We hypothesise that long-tailed tits are able to discriminate between the calls of conspecifics based on these parameters. This is the first quantitative description of potential recognition cues in a cooperatively breeding bird in which vocal discrimination is known to occur.",

keywords = "Aegithalos caudatus, long-tailed tit, PARENT-OFFSPRING RECOGNITION, ACOUSTIC BASIS, recognition, FAIRY-WRENS, GREAT TITS, cooperative breeding, KIN RECOGNITION, CHICKADEE CALLS, SONG, vocalisations, contact calls, KINSHIP, DISCRIMINATION, SIBLING RECOGNITION, individuality",

author = "SP Sharp and BJ Hatchwell",

year = "2005",

doi = "10.1163/156853905774831918",

language = "English",

volume = "142",

pages = "1559--1575",

journal = "Behaviour",

issn = "0005-7959",

publisher = "Martinus Nijhoff Publishers/ Brill Academic",

number = "11-12",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Individuality in the contact calls of cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus)

AU - Sharp, SP

AU - Hatchwell, BJ

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - The ability to discriminate between individuals or groups of individuals is important for the evolution of sociality. Individual vocal recognition is thought to be widespread in social birds, yet few studies have investigated its role in cooperatively breeding species. In long-tailed tits, helpers preferentially provide care to close kin, and individuals are able to discriminate between the vocalisations of kin and non-kin. However, the mechanism underlying this recognition system is unknown. Here we quantify the relative variation between and within individuals in three of the contact calls used by this species. Spectrographic cross-correlation revealed that two of these calls, the 'churr' and the 'triple', were individually distinct. We therefore analysed the variation in a series of acoustic parameters in each of these two vocalisations. For both the churr and the triple, discriminant function analysis was able to allocate calls to the correct individuals according to variation in several frequency parameters. We hypothesise that long-tailed tits are able to discriminate between the calls of conspecifics based on these parameters. This is the first quantitative description of potential recognition cues in a cooperatively breeding bird in which vocal discrimination is known to occur.

AB - The ability to discriminate between individuals or groups of individuals is important for the evolution of sociality. Individual vocal recognition is thought to be widespread in social birds, yet few studies have investigated its role in cooperatively breeding species. In long-tailed tits, helpers preferentially provide care to close kin, and individuals are able to discriminate between the vocalisations of kin and non-kin. However, the mechanism underlying this recognition system is unknown. Here we quantify the relative variation between and within individuals in three of the contact calls used by this species. Spectrographic cross-correlation revealed that two of these calls, the 'churr' and the 'triple', were individually distinct. We therefore analysed the variation in a series of acoustic parameters in each of these two vocalisations. For both the churr and the triple, discriminant function analysis was able to allocate calls to the correct individuals according to variation in several frequency parameters. We hypothesise that long-tailed tits are able to discriminate between the calls of conspecifics based on these parameters. This is the first quantitative description of potential recognition cues in a cooperatively breeding bird in which vocal discrimination is known to occur.

KW - Aegithalos caudatus

KW - long-tailed tit

KW - PARENT-OFFSPRING RECOGNITION

KW - ACOUSTIC BASIS

KW - recognition

KW - FAIRY-WRENS

KW - GREAT TITS

KW - cooperative breeding

KW - KIN RECOGNITION

KW - CHICKADEE CALLS

KW - SONG

KW - vocalisations

KW - contact calls

KW - KINSHIP

KW - DISCRIMINATION

KW - SIBLING RECOGNITION

KW - individuality

U2 - 10.1163/156853905774831918

DO - 10.1163/156853905774831918

M3 - Journal article

VL - 142

SP - 1559

EP - 1575

JO - Behaviour

JF - Behaviour

SN - 0005-7959

IS - 11-12

ER -

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