Territorial Behavior of the American Coot

Gullion, Gordon W.

doi:10.2307/1364765

Cited by 49 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Both male and female pukeko have conspicuous frontal shield ornaments that extend from the bill upwards to cover the front of the crown. These ornaments, which are found in several species in the family Rallidae, are testosterone-dependent and have the ability to change size over short time periods [25,26]. Pukeko prominently display their frontal shields during aggressive interactions [23], and population differences in shield dimorphism are thought to be owing to variation in the intensity of intrasexual competition [27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manipulating the appearance of a badge of status causes changes in true badge expression

2014

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Signals of dominance and fighting ability (i.e. status signals) are found in a wide range of taxa and are used to settle disputes between competitive rivals. Most previous research has considered status-signal phenotype as an attribute of the individual; however, it is more likely that signal expression is an emergent property that also incorporates aspects of the social environment. Furthermore, because an individual's signal phenotype is likely to influence its social interactions, the relationships between status signals, social environment and individual quality are probably much more complex than previously appreciated. Here, we explore the dynamic relationship between social interactions and signal expression in a previously undescribed status signal, the frontal shield of the pukeko (Porphyrio porphyrio melanotus: Aves). We demonstrate that frontal shield size is a strong predictor of dominance status within social groups, even after controlling for potentially confounding variables. Then, we evaluate the relationship between social interactions and signal expression by testing whether manipulating apparent shield size influences (i) dominance interactions and (ii) future signal expression. By showing that decreasing apparent shield size causes both an increase in the amount of aggression received and a decrease in an individual's true shield size, we provide the first evidence of dynamic feedback between signal expression and social interactions. Our study provides important insight into the role of receiver-dependent (i.e. social) costs in maintaining signal honesty and demonstrates a unique approach to studying status signalling applicable to future studies on dynamic morphological signals.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Manipulating the appearance of a badge of status causes changes in true badge expression

2014

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“…In resident birds in California, the territorial behavior lasted throughout the year but the winter territory was re duced in size to a core area located near the nest site of the previous season (Gullion, 1953b). A similar situation was reported for F. atra in Europe (Cramp,19^7) except that the territory was not defended for a short period while the lake was used heavily by migratory waterfowl.…”

Section: Review Op Literature Breeding Behavior Of the Cootsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…The aggressiveness of the American coot has been reported by numerous workers (Henshaw, 1918;Sooter, 1945;Gullion, 1953b;and Ryder, 1959). The aggression usually described was associated with territorial defense.…”

Section: Territorial Activitymentioning

confidence: 80%

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Some aspects of reproductive behavior of American coots (Fulica americana)

Fredrickson

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“…These two characters are indicative of shield surface area, and the size of this ornament probably reflects reproductive and/or social status in P. p. melanotus (Craig et al, 1980;Dey et al, 2012Dey et al, , 2014. Shield size is testosterone-dependent in several species of the family Rallidae (Gullion, 1951;Eens et al, 2000) and may function as an indicator of individual quality, as found for many testosterone-dependent traits in birds (e.g. Mougeot et al, 2009).…”

Section: Sexual Dimorphismmentioning

confidence: 96%