Novel vocalizations, including song, from 2 female Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea)

MacDonald, Garrett J.; Delancey, Clayton D.; Islam, Kamal

doi:10.1676/18-104

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…see Kasumovic, Ratcliffe & Boag, (2003), Taff, Littrell & Freeman‐Gallant (2012), Campbell et al . (2016 a , b ) and MacDonald, Delancey & Islam (2019)]. These studies are of course important for identifying females that sing and should be documented (see Odom & Benedict, 2018), and small sample sizes probably reflect the lower vocalisation rates of females of some species.…”

Section: Female Versus Male Vocalisationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian vocalisations: the female perspective

et al. 2021

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Research on avian vocalisations has traditionally focused on male song produced by oscine passerines. However, accumulating evidence indicates that complex vocalisations can readily evolve outside the traditional contexts of mate attraction and territory defence by male birds, and yet the previous bias towards male song has shaped – and continues to shape – our understanding of avian communication as a whole. Accordingly, in this review we seek to address this imbalance by synthesising studies on female vocalisations from across signalling contexts throughout the Aves, and discuss the implications of recent empirical advances for our understanding of vocalisations in both sexes. This review reveals great structural and functional diversity among female vocalisations and highlights the important roles that vocalisations can play in mediating female‐specific behaviours. However, fundamental gaps remain. While there are now several case studies that identify the function of female vocalisations, few quantify the associated fitness benefits. Additionally, very little is known about the role of vocal learning in the development of female vocalisations. Thus, there remains a pressing need to examine the function and development of all forms of vocalisations in female birds. In the light of what we now know about the functions and mechanisms of female vocalisations, we suggest that conventional male‐biased definitions of songs and calls are inadequate for furthering our understanding of avian vocal communication more generally. Therefore, we propose two simple alternatives, both emancipated from the sex of the singer. The first distinguishes song from calls functionally as a sexually selected vocal signal, whilst the second distinguishes them mechanistically in terms of their underlying neurological processes. It is clear that more investigations are needed into the ultimate and proximate causes of female vocalisations; however, these are essential if we are to develop a holistic epistemology of avian vocal communication in both sexes, across ecological contexts and taxonomic divides.

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Section: Female Versus Male Vocalisationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian vocalisations: the female perspective

et al. 2021

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“…With the lack of focused studies on SOTN, it is difficult to make generalizations about the costs of this conspicuous behavior. Leonard (2008) estimated that at least 10% of North American bird species sing on the nest and it is possible the number is higher (e.g., MacDonald et al 2019). Incubation is an energetically costly behavior (reviewed in Williams 1996, Tinbergen and Williams 2002, Nord and Williams 2015; therefore singing (which also entails energetic costs; Oberweger and Goller 2001) during incubation would further increase the energetic demands of incubation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Singing on the nest is a widespread behavior in incubating Northern Mockingbirds and increases probability of nest predation

et al. 2023

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In this study, we documented for the first time singing on the nest (SOTN) in 74% of 65 Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) nests that were monitored with continuous-running video cameras (8,353.9 hr sampled). As predicted, higher rates of SOTN significantly decreased daily survival rates of nests. SOTN occurred almost exclusively by females during the egg stage and in 86% (48 of 56) of nests for which we had sampling from the egg stage. While extensive at the population level, the average rate of SOTN per individual was very low (5.24 ± 1.24 s SOTN per hour of video sampled). We found mixed support for the hypothesis that SOTN functions in territory maintenance. We found no support for the hypotheses that SOTN functions to coordinate parental care, defend nests, or aid in vocal learning. Given the limited attention SOTN has received and the mostly anecdotal accounts of it, our understanding of its costs and benefits is lacking. We conclude that while individual rates of SOTN are quite low, SOTN may be more widespread in populations than previously thought and that studies specifically designed to test hypotheses regarding potential functions are critically needed.

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Novel vocalizations, including song, from 2 female Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea)

Cited by 2 publications

References 25 publications

Avian vocalisations: the female perspective

Avian vocalisations: the female perspective

Singing on the nest is a widespread behavior in incubating Northern Mockingbirds and increases probability of nest predation

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