Penguins and their noisy world

Aubin, Thierry

doi:10.1590/s0001-37652004000200015

Cited by 28 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…In order to encode individual identity, an acoustic cue needs thus to present variation within individuals smaller than variation among individuals (Robisson et al, 1993;Mathevon, 1996;Charrier et al, 2002;Bloomfield et al, 2004;Charrier et al, 2004). In numerous colonial bird species, individual vocal signature is known to rely on the temporal pattern of frequency modulation and/or on the energy spectrum (Okanoya and Dooling, 1991;Jouventin et al, 1999;Lengagne et al, 2000Lengagne et al, , 2001Charrier et al, 2001;Aubin and Jouventin, 2002;Aubin, 2004;Aubin et al, 2007). As the distance call of male zebra finches is a complex sound, typically a frequency modulated downsweep of a fundamental frequency and several associated harmonics (Zann, 1984;Simpson and Vicario, 1990), it may contain various acoustic cues capable of supporting individual identity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mate recognition by female zebra finch: Analysis of individuality in male call and first investigations on female decoding process

Vignal¹,

Mathevon²,

Mottin³

2008

Behavioural Processes

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Zebra finches are monogamous birds living in large assemblies, which represent a source of confusion for recognition between mates. Because the members of a pair use distance calls to remain in contact, call-based mate recognition is highly probable in this species. Whereas it had been previously demonstrated in males [Vignal, C., Mathevon, N., Mottin, S., 2004. Audience drives male songbird response to mate's voice. Nature 430, 448-451], call-based mate recognition remained to be shown in females. By analysing the acoustic structure of male calls, we investigated the existence of an individual signature and identified the involved acoustic cues. We tested to see if females can identify their mates on the basis of their calls alone, and performed preliminary experiments using modified signals to investigate the acoustic basis of this recognition. Playback tests carried on six individuals showed that a female zebra finch is able to perform the call-based recognition of its mate. Our experiments suggested that the female uses both the energy spectrum and the frequency modulation of the male signal. More experiments are now needed to decipher precisely which acoustic cues are used by females for recognition.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mate recognition by female zebra finch: Analysis of individuality in male call and first investigations on female decoding process

Vignal¹,

Mathevon²,

Mottin³

2008

Behavioural Processes

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“…Individual recognition in this species is based on vocal communication where individuals can identify their partners or chicks as they move through a noisy crowd of conspecifics (Aubin, 2004). Moreover, because of the highly vocal nature of these birds, king penguin colonies are a prominent source of sound, especially during breeding season.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The invisible cues that guide king penguin chicks home. The use of magnetic and acoustic cues during orientation and short-range navigation

Nesterova

Chiffard²,

Couchoux³

et al. 2013

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYKing penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) live in large and densely populated colonies, where navigation can be challenging because of the presence of many conspecifics that could obstruct locally available cues. Our previous experiments demonstrated that visual cues were important but not essential for king penguin chicksʼ homing. The main objective of this study was to investigate the importance of non-visual cues, such as magnetic and acoustic cues, for chicksʼ orientation and short-range navigation. In a series of experiments, the chicks were individually displaced from the colony to an experimental arena where they were released under different conditions. In the magnetic experiments, a strong magnet was attached to the chicksʼ heads. Trials were conducted in daylight and at night to test the relative importance of visual and magnetic cues. Our results showed that when the geomagnetic field around the chicks was modified, their orientation in the arena and the overall ability to home was not affected. In a low sound experiment we limited the acoustic cues available to the chicks by putting ear pads over their ears, and in a loud sound experiment we provided additional acoustic cues by broadcasting colony sounds on the opposite side of the arena to the real colony. In the low sound experiment, the behavior of the chicks was not affected by the limited sound input. In the loud sound experiment, the chicks reacted strongly to the colony sound. These results suggest that king penguin chicks may use the sound of the colony while orienting towards their home.

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“…Most seabirds are sexually monomorphic and breed in large and dense colonies, which creates risks of misidentification (Slabbekoorn, 2004). Vocal displays may thus play a major role in mate and parent–offspring recognition (Falls, 1982), as has been shown, for instance, in penguins (Aubin & Jouventin, 2002; Aubin, 2004) and in Larids (Hutchinson, Stevenson & Thorpe, 1968; Beer, 1969; Evans, 1970; Charrier et al. , 2001; Mathevon, Charrier & Jouventin, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Voice variance may signify ongoing divergence among black-legged kittiwake populations

Mulard

Aubin

White

et al. 2009

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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Acoustic features are important for individual and species recognition. However, while dialectal variations in song characteristics have been described in many songbirds, geographical divergence in vocal features across populations has seldom been studied in birds that are not thought to have song-learning abilities. Here, we document marked differences in the vocal structure of calls of two populations of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), a seabird whose call is considered as not being learned from other individuals. We found that calls vary both within and between populations. Within-population variation may convey individual identity, whereas the marked differences in frequency and temporal parameters observed between the two populations may reveal ongoing divergence among kittiwake populations. Moreover, we were unable to detect any sex signature in adult calls in a Pacific population (Middleton, Alaska), while these were detected in an Atlantic population (Hornøya, Norway), potentially affecting sexual behaviours. Despite the fact that these calls seemed to change over the reproductive season and across years, the individual signature remained fairly stable. Such vocal differences suggest that Pacific and Atlantic populations may be undergoing behavioural divergences that may reveal early stages of speciation, as is suggested by molecular data.

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Penguins and their noisy world

Cited by 28 publications

References 15 publications

Mate recognition by female zebra finch: Analysis of individuality in male call and first investigations on female decoding process

Mate recognition by female zebra finch: Analysis of individuality in male call and first investigations on female decoding process

The invisible cues that guide king penguin chicks home. The use of magnetic and acoustic cues during orientation and short-range navigation

Voice variance may signify ongoing divergence among black-legged kittiwake populations

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