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IS-MOBIL-Mobilitetsprogr.f.utl.Ph.D-stu

Song overlapping as a threatening signal in male-male vocal interactions within social groups of ortolan buntings from isolated population

Tildelt: kr 33 999

Here I will evaluate the signal function of overlapping during the song contests of ortolan buntings Emberiza hortulana. Male ortolan buntings sing a two-phrase song, and their repertoire size varied in the studied population from 1-24, with mean value of four song types per male (Osiejuk et al. 2003a). Song contests often include overlapping between opponents and typically involve territory holders countersinging with neighbours In the early breeding season, ortolan buntings arrive from the wintering gro unds and establish their territories, typically within a neighbourhood of other well-known individuals that share similar song types or even whole repertoires (social group) (Skierczynski et al. 2008). Despite such behaviour, males which did not establish their own territory at the first moment of the breeding season, or did not pair, are able to change their location one or several times in one breeding season, making interactions with many other males within a population. Such behaviour is related with decreasing number of breeding females and a general population decline (Dale et al. 2005, 2006, Steifetten & Dale 2006) and is uncommon in songbird species. What is more important, considering the unique behavioural patterns observed in this population, m y research should give interesting results on acoustical communication between territorial males. Moreover, since the population is isolated and threatened by extinction it might be the last chance to carry out such research.

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IS-MOBIL-Mobilitetsprogr.f.utl.Ph.D-stu