Genetic divergence between isolated populations of the North Island New Zealand Rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris granti) implicates ancient biogeographic impacts rather than recent habitat fragmentation

Abstract

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Structure and function of the vocal repertoire of the Rifleman ( Acanthisitta chloris ), a member of the earliest diverging passerine suborder, Acanthisitti

“…In this process, we also identified call types that were rarely or incompletely documented and provided new name classifications for them. We also documented Rifleman alarm calls in interspecific agonistic interactions using previous descriptions (Gray 1969, Sherley 1985, Higgins et al 2001, Withers 2013. When Rifleman produced alarm calls in natural settings, we noted which predator or aggressor species were present.…”

“…When Rifleman produced alarm calls in natural settings, we noted which predator or aggressor species were present. Here, we define predator species as species that hunt and feed on the Rifleman, such as Morepork (Ruru, Ninox novaeseelandiae, family: Strigidae) (Higgins et al 2001) and Long-tailed Cuckoo (Koekoea, Eudynamys taitensis, family: Cuculidae) (Moran et al 2019), and aggressor species as those that attack the Rifleman without preying upon them, such as New Zealand Bellbird (Korimako, Anthornis melanura, family: Meliphagidae) (Withers 2009) and Grey Warbler (Riroriro, Gerygone igata, family: Acanthizidae) (Loo et al 2019).…”

“…Rifleman have highpitched and short vocalizations that are prone to signal attenuation during transmission, especially in forested habitats (Padgham 2003). Thus, contact calls may be directed toward nearby individuals, such as partners, to maintain social cohesion when foraging (Withers 2013). The chuck, pip, and zip calls may be used in combination as a cost-effective and reliable way to convey more information than each signal type alone.…”

“…In this study, we quantify the vocal repertoire of the North Island Rifleman (Māori name: Titipounamu, Acanthisitta chloris granti), one of two extant species of New Zealand Wren (suborder: Acanthisitti), a sister group to all other passerines (Ericson et al 2002, Robertson et al 2007, Preston et al 2013, Jarvis et al 2014, Withers 2020, Withers et al 2021. Due to its phylogenetic position, Rifleman vocal abilities and repertoire are increasingly recognized as valuable for understanding the evolution of complex vocalizations in songbirds (Suh et al 2011, Loo andCain 2021).…”

“…Due to its phylogenetic position, Rifleman vocal abilities and repertoire are increasingly recognized as valuable for understanding the evolution of complex vocalizations in songbirds (Suh et al 2011, Loo andCain 2021). Several authors have partially documented its calls using onomatopoeic names (Higgins et al 2001, Withers 2013, although the spelling of call names may be different between authors (Vella et al 2021). However, a complete vocal repertoire of this species has not been produced.…”