Song repertoire size correlates with measures of body size in Eurasian blackbirds

Nana Hesler; Roger Mundry; Thomas Sacher; Timothy Coppack; Franz Bairlein; Torben Dabelsteen

doi:10.1163/156853912x649920

Song repertoire size correlates with measures of body size in Eurasian blackbirds

Nana Hesler, Roger Mundry, Thomas Sacher, Timothy Coppack, Franz Bairlein, Torben Dabelsteen

Abstract

In most oscine bird species males possess a repertoire of different song patterns. The size of these repertoires is assumed to serve as an honest signal of male quality. The Eurasian blackbird’s (Turdus merula) song contains a large repertoire of different element types with a flexible song organisation. Here we investigated whether repertoire size in Eurasian blackbirds correlates with measures of body size, namely length of wing, 8th primary, beak and tarsus. So far, very few studies have investigated species with large repertoires and a flexible song organisation in this context. We found positive correlations, meaning that larger males had larger repertoires. Larger males may have better fighting abilities and, thus, advantages in territorial defence. Larger structural body size may also reflect better conditions during early development. Therefore, under the assumption that body size is linked to overall male quality, our results are in accordance with the hypothesis that repertoire size represents an honest signal in Eurasian blackbirds that has evolved in response to sexual selection.

Original language	English
Journal	Behaviour
Volume	149
Issue number	6
Pages (from-to)	645-665
Number of pages	21
ISSN	0005-7959
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1163/156853912x649920
Publication status	Published - 2012

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title = "Song repertoire size correlates with measures of body size in Eurasian blackbirds",

abstract = "In most oscine bird species males possess a repertoire of different song patterns. The size of these repertoires is assumed to serve as an honest signal of male quality. The Eurasian blackbird{\textquoteright}s (Turdus merula) song contains a large repertoire of different element types with a flexible song organisation. Here we investigated whether repertoire size in Eurasian blackbirds correlates with measures of body size, namely length of wing, 8th primary, beak and tarsus. So far, very few studies have investigated species with large repertoires and a flexible song organisation in this context. We found positive correlations, meaning that larger males had larger repertoires. Larger males may have better fighting abilities and, thus, advantages in territorial defence. Larger structural body size may also reflect better conditions during early development. Therefore, under the assumption that body size is linked to overall male quality, our results are in accordance with the hypothesis that repertoire size represents an honest signal in Eurasian blackbirds that has evolved in response to sexual selection.",

author = "Nana Hesler and Roger Mundry and Thomas Sacher and Timothy Coppack and Franz Bairlein and Torben Dabelsteen",

year = "2012",

doi = "10.1163/156853912x649920",

language = "English",

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pages = "645--665",

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T1 - Song repertoire size correlates with measures of body size in Eurasian blackbirds

AU - Hesler, Nana

AU - Mundry, Roger

AU - Sacher, Thomas

AU - Coppack, Timothy

AU - Bairlein, Franz

AU - Dabelsteen, Torben

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - In most oscine bird species males possess a repertoire of different song patterns. The size of these repertoires is assumed to serve as an honest signal of male quality. The Eurasian blackbird’s (Turdus merula) song contains a large repertoire of different element types with a flexible song organisation. Here we investigated whether repertoire size in Eurasian blackbirds correlates with measures of body size, namely length of wing, 8th primary, beak and tarsus. So far, very few studies have investigated species with large repertoires and a flexible song organisation in this context. We found positive correlations, meaning that larger males had larger repertoires. Larger males may have better fighting abilities and, thus, advantages in territorial defence. Larger structural body size may also reflect better conditions during early development. Therefore, under the assumption that body size is linked to overall male quality, our results are in accordance with the hypothesis that repertoire size represents an honest signal in Eurasian blackbirds that has evolved in response to sexual selection.

AB - In most oscine bird species males possess a repertoire of different song patterns. The size of these repertoires is assumed to serve as an honest signal of male quality. The Eurasian blackbird’s (Turdus merula) song contains a large repertoire of different element types with a flexible song organisation. Here we investigated whether repertoire size in Eurasian blackbirds correlates with measures of body size, namely length of wing, 8th primary, beak and tarsus. So far, very few studies have investigated species with large repertoires and a flexible song organisation in this context. We found positive correlations, meaning that larger males had larger repertoires. Larger males may have better fighting abilities and, thus, advantages in territorial defence. Larger structural body size may also reflect better conditions during early development. Therefore, under the assumption that body size is linked to overall male quality, our results are in accordance with the hypothesis that repertoire size represents an honest signal in Eurasian blackbirds that has evolved in response to sexual selection.

U2 - 10.1163/156853912x649920

DO - 10.1163/156853912x649920

M3 - Journal article

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