Neighbour–stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest
Abstract We investigated within- and between-individual song variation and song-based neighbour-stranger discrimination in a non-learning bird species, the blue-headed wood-dove (Turtur brehmeri), which inhabits lowland rainforests of West and Central Africa. We found that songs of this species are...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53867-7 |
| _version_ | 1827327445981724672 |
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| author | Małgorzata Niśkiewicz Paweł Szymański Lia Zampa Michał Budka Tomasz S. Osiejuk |
| author_facet | Małgorzata Niśkiewicz Paweł Szymański Lia Zampa Michał Budka Tomasz S. Osiejuk |
| author_sort | Małgorzata Niśkiewicz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We investigated within- and between-individual song variation and song-based neighbour-stranger discrimination in a non-learning bird species, the blue-headed wood-dove (Turtur brehmeri), which inhabits lowland rainforests of West and Central Africa. We found that songs of this species are individually specific and have a high potential for use in individual recognition based on the time–frequency pattern of note distribution within song phrases. To test whether these differences affect behaviour, we conducted playback experiments with 19 territorial males. Each male was tested twice, once with the songs of a familiar neighbour and once with the songs of an unfamiliar stranger. We observed that males responded more aggressively to playback of a stranger’s songs: they quickly approached close to the speaker and spent more time near it. However, no significant differences between treatments were observed in the vocal responses. In addition, we explored whether responses differed based on the song frequency of the focal male and/or that of the simulated intruder (i.e., playback), as this song parameter is inversely related to body size and could potentially affect males’ decisions to respond to other birds. Song frequency parameters (of either the focal male or the simulated intruder) had no effect on the approaching response during playback. However, we found that the pattern of response after playback was significantly affected by the song frequency of the focal male: males with lower-frequency songs stayed closer to the simulated intruder for a longer period of time without singing, while males with higher-frequency songs returned more quickly to their initial song posts and resumed singing. Together, these results depict a consistently strong response to strangers during and after playback that is dependent on a male’s self-assessment rather than assessment of a rival’s strength based on his song frequency. This work provides the first experimental evidence that doves (Columbidae) can use songs for neighbour-stranger discrimination and respond according to a “dear enemy” scheme that keeps the cost of territory defence at a reasonable level. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:01:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-681f6424b7164785a4e0d92d2bdc4664 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:01:20Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-681f6424b7164785a4e0d92d2bdc46642024-03-05T19:07:46ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-02-0114111310.1038/s41598-024-53867-7Neighbour–stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforestMałgorzata Niśkiewicz0Paweł Szymański1Lia Zampa2Michał Budka3Tomasz S. Osiejuk4Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityDepartment of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityDepartment of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityDepartment of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityDepartment of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz UniversityAbstract We investigated within- and between-individual song variation and song-based neighbour-stranger discrimination in a non-learning bird species, the blue-headed wood-dove (Turtur brehmeri), which inhabits lowland rainforests of West and Central Africa. We found that songs of this species are individually specific and have a high potential for use in individual recognition based on the time–frequency pattern of note distribution within song phrases. To test whether these differences affect behaviour, we conducted playback experiments with 19 territorial males. Each male was tested twice, once with the songs of a familiar neighbour and once with the songs of an unfamiliar stranger. We observed that males responded more aggressively to playback of a stranger’s songs: they quickly approached close to the speaker and spent more time near it. However, no significant differences between treatments were observed in the vocal responses. In addition, we explored whether responses differed based on the song frequency of the focal male and/or that of the simulated intruder (i.e., playback), as this song parameter is inversely related to body size and could potentially affect males’ decisions to respond to other birds. Song frequency parameters (of either the focal male or the simulated intruder) had no effect on the approaching response during playback. However, we found that the pattern of response after playback was significantly affected by the song frequency of the focal male: males with lower-frequency songs stayed closer to the simulated intruder for a longer period of time without singing, while males with higher-frequency songs returned more quickly to their initial song posts and resumed singing. Together, these results depict a consistently strong response to strangers during and after playback that is dependent on a male’s self-assessment rather than assessment of a rival’s strength based on his song frequency. This work provides the first experimental evidence that doves (Columbidae) can use songs for neighbour-stranger discrimination and respond according to a “dear enemy” scheme that keeps the cost of territory defence at a reasonable level.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53867-7Neighbour–stranger discriminationDear enemy phenomenonBroadcast vocalisationSongColumbidae vocalisationPlayback experiment |
| spellingShingle | Małgorzata Niśkiewicz Paweł Szymański Lia Zampa Michał Budka Tomasz S. Osiejuk Neighbour–stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest Scientific Reports Neighbour–stranger discrimination Dear enemy phenomenon Broadcast vocalisation Song Columbidae vocalisation Playback experiment |
| title | Neighbour–stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest |
| title_full | Neighbour–stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest |
| title_fullStr | Neighbour–stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neighbour–stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest |
| title_short | Neighbour–stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest |
| title_sort | neighbour stranger discrimination in an african wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest |
| topic | Neighbour–stranger discrimination Dear enemy phenomenon Broadcast vocalisation Song Columbidae vocalisation Playback experiment |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53867-7 |
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