Variation in the song rate of the male pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca: causes and consequences
1987; Elsevier BV; Volume: 35; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0003-3472(87)80160-4
ISSN1095-8282
Autores Tópico(s)Avian ecology and behavior
ResumoThe natural song rate of the pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca, was highly correlated with both air temperature and time of day as well as with date of season. The average song rate at different temperature levels rose as the season advanced. When temperature, time of day and date were held constant, males were found to slightly increase the song rate during the premating period. The average song rate did not correlate with age, tarsus length (body size) or colour type of the male. Males provided with extra food considerably elevated their song rates at low temperatures in relation to controls which indicates that song rate is limited by food resources. Under natural circumstances, females selected males that had been the longest in the area and also males with the highest song rates, even after the correction for augmented song rate with duration of premating period. It is suggested that the female, in selecting a male with a high song rate, in fact may select either the food content of his territory and/or the quality of the male directly. Alternatively, female mate choice may be based on territorial cues, and song rate and/or male quality may merely be correlatives of territory quality.
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