Are there age-related differences in the song repertoire size of Eurasian blackbirds?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Are there age-related differences in the song repertoire size of Eurasian blackbirds?

AU - Hesler, Nana

AU - Mundry, Roger

AU - Dabelsteen, Torben

PY - 2012/10

Y1 - 2012/10

N2 - Most oscine bird species possess a repertoire of different song patterns, and repertoire size is thought to signal aspects of male quality. As age is assumed to be related to male quality in terms of experience and/or viability, repertoire size may be expected to reflect male age. Here, we investigated the relationship between repertoire size and age (yearlings or older) in Eurasian blackbirds, Turdus merula, a species with a large repertoire delivered in a highly variable manner. We found that older males tended to have larger repertoires than yearlings though the two age groups overlapped considerably. Thus, compared to other species with large repertoires, age-related differences in repertoire size seem rather small in male Eurasian blackbirds. We also compared repertoires of three individuals in two successive years (as yearlings and in the year following) and found a large element turnover. Our investigation revealed that this turnover was almost complete in the quiet terminating twitter part of the song. Such turnover may allow a young bird to adjust his repertoire to his neighbours' repertoires, which could be useful for song matching interactions.

AB - Most oscine bird species possess a repertoire of different song patterns, and repertoire size is thought to signal aspects of male quality. As age is assumed to be related to male quality in terms of experience and/or viability, repertoire size may be expected to reflect male age. Here, we investigated the relationship between repertoire size and age (yearlings or older) in Eurasian blackbirds, Turdus merula, a species with a large repertoire delivered in a highly variable manner. We found that older males tended to have larger repertoires than yearlings though the two age groups overlapped considerably. Thus, compared to other species with large repertoires, age-related differences in repertoire size seem rather small in male Eurasian blackbirds. We also compared repertoires of three individuals in two successive years (as yearlings and in the year following) and found a large element turnover. Our investigation revealed that this turnover was almost complete in the quiet terminating twitter part of the song. Such turnover may allow a young bird to adjust his repertoire to his neighbours' repertoires, which could be useful for song matching interactions.

KW - Turdus merula

KW - Blackbird

KW - Song

KW - Repertoire

KW - Age

KW - Male quality

U2 - 10.1007/s10211-012-0127-z

DO - 10.1007/s10211-012-0127-z

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0873-9749

VL - 15

SP - 203

EP - 210

JO - Acta Ethologica

JF - Acta Ethologica

IS - 2

ER -