Partners coordinate territorial defense against simulated intruders in a duetting ovenbird

Diniz, Pedro; Rech, Gianlucca S.; Ribeiro, Pedro H. L.; Webster, Michael S.; Macêdo, Regina H.

doi:10.1002/ece3.5821

Cited by 14 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…They were stronger than solo songs and were as relevant as other physical traits like the number of flights over the decoy. Our results are in line with previous findings in the species suggesting the territorial function of duets in hornero, overall providing evidence for the "joint territorial defence" hypothesis (Diniz et al 2018(Diniz et al , 2019(Diniz et al , 2020.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Also, previous studies on this species suggest that duets have a territorial function (Diniz et al 2018(Diniz et al , 2019(Diniz et al , 2020. However, these studies were either acoustic-centered (Diniz et al 2018(Diniz et al , 2019 or carried out during a non-breeding season (Diniz et al 2020), and none of them considered the multivariate nature of territorial defence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Horneros are territorial year round, socially monogamous (Fraga 1980;Diniz et al 2018) and both members of the pair are involved in defending their territory (Fraga 1980;Diniz et al 2018). Indeed, all breeding behaviours studied in horneros so far are performed in an equitable and coordinated manner between sexes, such as incubation, parental care-related activities and even territorial defence in non-breeding context (Fraga 1980;Massoni et al 2012;Diniz et al 2020). Also, previous studies on this species suggest that duets have a territorial function (Diniz et al 2018(Diniz et al , 2019(Diniz et al , 2020.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, all breeding behaviours studied in horneros so far are performed in an equitable and coordinated manner between sexes, such as incubation, parental care-related activities and even territorial defence in non-breeding context (Fraga 1980;Massoni et al 2012;Diniz et al 2020). Also, previous studies on this species suggest that duets have a territorial function (Diniz et al 2018(Diniz et al , 2019(Diniz et al , 2020. However, these studies were either acoustic-centered (Diniz et al 2018(Diniz et al , 2019 or carried out during a non-breeding season (Diniz et al 2020), and none of them considered the multivariate nature of territorial defence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, we predicted both members of the pair to positively correlate their territory defence behaviors (e.g. Diniz et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Defending as a unit: sex- and context-specific territorial defence in a duetting bird

Mentesana

Moiron

Guedes

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Behaviours such as territorial defence represent functionally integrated traits that underlie multiple behavioural variables such as physical and acoustic responses. Characterizing the multivariate structure of such traits is fundamental to understand their evolution. In bird species that form stable pair bonds and are territorial year-round, both sexes are expected to defend their territory; however, the role that each sex plays in defending their shared territory remains largely unknown. Evidence for the sex-roles during territorial defence is mixed and sex- and context-specific characterizations of territorial defence embracing the multivariate nature of the trait are currently lacking. Here we investigated sex- and context-specific variation in a hypothesised latent variable called “territorial defence” and tested whether duets were part of territorial defence in a wild population of rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus). To do so, we combined a simulated territorial intrusion approach during nest building and provisioning contexts with a structural equation modelling approach. Our results showed that, in males and females, the six measured behavioural variables were linked by a single latent trait, territorial defence, in both contexts. Flights over the decoy and duet songs were equally good proxies of territorial defence. Although males were defending more the territory than females, pair members showed a positive correlation in their behaviour. The structural equation modelling framework enabled us to capture a complex correlation pattern among behavioural variables, expanding upon a classic body of research on territorial defence. Thus, the combination of classical behavioural approaches with sophisticated statistical analyses brings new exciting possibilities to the field of behavioural ecology.Significance statementTerritorial defence is a key behaviour in territorial species as it plays a major role in an individual’s reproductive success and survival. Additionally, territorial defence has been proposed as one possible evolutionary driver of duetting behaviour, one of the most fascinating vocal behaviours in birds. As behaviours are evolutionary characters, they must be studied in a multivariate framework. In this study we focused on characterizing territorial defence during a simulated territorial intrusion in an integrative manner using a classical territorial intrusion framework. We did so in male and female rufous horneros (Aves: Furnaridae) across two breeding contexts, while simultaneously testing theoretical predictions about the role of duetting behaviour as key part of territorial defence. Overall, our study provides for the first time a sex- and context-comparison of the multivariate, latent variable “territorial defence” in duetting birds, while highlighting the potential of combining field behavioural approaches with structural equation modelling.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%