Seasonal singing patterns and individual consistency in song activity in female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

Behaviour

Volumn 144, Issue 6, 2007, Pages 663-680

  Pavlova, Denitza Z ^a   Pinxten, Rianne ^a   Eens, Marcel ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP   (Belgium)

Author keywords

European starling; Female song; Individual variation; Seasonal variation; Song rate

Indexed keywords

PASSERI; STURNUS VULGARIS;

EID: 34547586092     PISSN: 00057959     EISSN: 1568539X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1163/156853907781347835     Document Type: Article

References (47)

1. Arcese, P., Stoddard, P.K. & Heibert, S.M. (1988). The form and function of song in female Song Sparrows. - Condor 90: 44-50.
2. Ball, G.F. & Wingfield, J.C. (1987). Changes in plasma levels of sex steroids in relation to multiple-broodiness and nest site density in male starlings. - Physiol. Zool. 60: 191-199.
3. Ball, G.F., Riters, L.V. & Balthazart, J. (2002). Neuroendocrinology of song behavior and avian brain plasticity: multiple sites of action of sex steroid hormones. -Front. Neuroendocrinol. 23: 137-178.
4. Ball, G.F., Castelino, C.B., Maney, D.L., Appeltants, D. & Balthazart, J. (2003). The activation of birdsong by testosterone: Multiple sites of action and role of ascending catecholamine projections. - Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 1007, 211-231.
5. Baptista, L.F., Bell, D.A. & Trail, P.W. (1993). Song learning and production in the white-crowned sparrow: parallels with sexual imprinting. - Neth. J. Zool. 43: 17-33.
6. Bernard, D.J. (1995). The effects of testosterone, photoperiod, and season on plasticity in the song control system of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). - PhD thesis, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
7. Brunton, D.H. & Li, X. (2006). The song structure and seasonal patterns of vocal behavior of male and female bellbirds (Anthornis melanura). - J. Ethol. 24: 17-25.
8. Clutton-Brock, T.H., Hodge, S.J., Spong, G., Russell, A.F., Jordan, N.R., Bennett, N.C., Sharpe, L.L. & Manser, M.B. (2006). Intrasexual competition and sexual selection in cooperative mammals.- Nature 444: 1065-1068.
9. Dawson, A. & Goldsmith, A.R. (1984). Effects of gonadectomy on seasonal changes in plasma LH and prolactin concentrations in male and female starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). - J. Endocrinol. 100: 213-218.
10. Dawson, A., King, V.M., Bentley, G.E. & Ball, G.F. (2001). Photoperiodic control of seasonality in birds. - J. Biol. Rhythms 16: 365-380.
11. Eens, M. (1997). Understanding the complex song of the European starling: an integrated ethological approach. - Adv. Stud. Behav. 26: 355-434.
12. Eens, M., Pinxten, R. & Verheyen, R.F. (1990). On the function of singing and wing-waving in the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). - Bird Study 37: 48-52.
13. Eens, M., Pinxten, R. & Verheyen, R.F. (1991). Male song as a cue for mate choice in the European starling. - Behaviour 116: 210-238.
14. Eens, M. & Pinxten, R. (1996). Female European starlings increase their copulation solicitation rate when faced with the risk of polygyny. - Anim. Behav. 51: 1141-1147.
15. Feare, C. (1984). The starling. - Oxford University Press, Oxford.
16. Forstmeier, W., Coltman, D.W. & Birkhead, T.R. (2004). Maternal effects influence the sexual behavior of sons and daughters in the Zebra finch. - Evolution 58: 2574-2583.
17. Gwinner, H., van't Hof, T. & Zeman, M. (2002). Hormonal and behavioral responses of starlings during a confrontation with males or females at nest boxes during the reproductive season. - Horm. Behav. 42: 21-31.
18. Halkin, S.L. (1997). Nest-vicinity song exchanges may coordinate biparental care of northern cardinals. - Anim. Behav. 54: 189-198.
19. Hausberger, M., Henry, L. & Richard, M.A. (1995). Testosterone-induced singing in female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). - Ethology 99: 193-208.
20. Heimovics, S.A. & Riters, L.V. (2005). Immediate early gene activity in song control nuclei and brain areas regulating motivation relates positively to singing behavior during, but not outside of, a breeding context. - J. Neurobiol. 65: 207-224.
21. Heinsohn, R., Legge, S. & Endler, J.A. (2005). Extreme Reversed Sexual Dichromatism in a Bird Without Sex Role Reversal. - Science 309: 617-619.
22. Henry, L. & Hausberger, M. (2001). Differences in the social context of song production in captive male and female European starlings. - C.R. Acad. Sci. III 324: 1167-1174.
23. Hoelzel, A.R. (1986). Song characteristics and response to playback of male and female robins Erithacus rubecula. - Ibis 128: 115-127.
24. Retterson, E.D., Nolan, V. Jr. & Sandel, M. (2005). Testosterone in Females: Mediator of Adaptive Traits, Constraint on Sexual Dimorphism, or Both? -Am. Nat. 166: S85-S98.
25. Langmore, N.B. (1998). Functions of duet and solo songs in female birds. - Trends Ecol. Evol. 13: 136-140.
26. Langmore, N.E. (2000). Why female birds sing. - In: Animal signals. Signalling and signal design in animal communication (Espmark, Y., Amundsen, T. & Rosenqvist, G., eds). Tapir Academic Press, Trondheim, p. 317-327.
27. Langmore, N.E., Cockrem, J.F. & Candy, E.J. (2002). Competition for male reproductive investment elevates testosterone levels in female dunnocks, Prunella modularis. - Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B 269: 2473-2478.
28. LeBas, N.R. (2006). Female finery is not for males. - Trends Ecol. Evol. 21: 170-173.
29. Littell, R.C., Milliken, G.A., Stroup, W.W. & Wolfinger, R.D. (1996). SAS system for mixed models. -SAS Institute, Cary, NC
30. van Meir, V., Verhoye, M., Absil, P., Eens, M., Balthazart, J. & van der Linden, A. (2004). Differential effects of testosterone on neuronal populations and their connections in a sensorimotor brain nucleus controlling song production in songbirds: a manganese enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging study. - Neuroimage 21: 914-923.
31. van Meir, V., Pavlova, D., Verhoye, M., Pinxten, R., Balthazart, J., Eens, M. & van der Linden, A. (2006). In vivo MR imaging of the seasonal volumetric and functional plasticity of song control nuclei in relation to song output in a female songbird. - Neuroimage 31: 981-992.
32. Merkel, F.W. (1982). Sozialverhalten von individuell markierten staren Sturnus vulgaris in einer kleinen nistkastenkolonie. - Luscinia 44: 239-254.
33. Møller, A.P., Garamszegi, L.Z., Gil, D., Hurtrez-Boussès, S. & Eens, M. (2005). Correlated evolution of male and female testosterone profiles in birds and its consequences. -Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 58: 534-544.
34. Nicholls, T.J., Goldsmith, A.R. & Dawson, A. (1988). Photorefractoriness in birds and comparison with mammals. - Physiol. Rev. 68: 133-176.
35. Pavlova, D., Pinxten, R. & Eens, M. (2005). Female song in European Starling: sex differences, complexity, and composition. - Condor 107: 558-568.
36. Pinxten, R., De Ridder, E., Balthazart, J. & Eens, M. (2002). Context-dependent effects of castration and testosterone treatment on song in male European starlings. - Horm. Behav. 42: 307-318.
37. de Ridder, E., Pinxten, R., Mees, V. & Eens, M. (2002). Short- and long-term effects of male-like concentrations of testosterone on female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). - Auk 119: 487-497.
38. Riters, L.V., Eens, M., Pinxten, R., Duffy, D.L., Balthazart, J. & Ball, G.F. (2000). Seasonal changes in courtship song and the medial preoptic area in male European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). - Horm. Behav. 38: 250-261.
39. Riters, L.V., Eens, M., Pinxten, R. & Ball, G.F. (2002). Seasonal changes in the densities of alpha(2)-noradrenergic receptors are inversely related to changes in testosterone and the volumes of song control nuclei in male European starlings. -J. Comp. Neurol. 444: 63-74.
40. Sandell, M.I. & Smith, H.G. (1997). Female aggression in the European starling during the breeding season. - Anim. Behav. 53: 13-23.
41. SAS Institute (1990). SAS/STAT User's Guide, Version 6, 4th edn. - SAS Institute, Cary, NC.
42. Schüz, E. (1943). Brutbiologische Beobachtungen an Staren 1943 in der Vogelwarte Rossitten. -J. Ornithol. 91: 388-405.
43. Soma, K.K., Tramontin, A.D., Featherstone, J. & Brenowitz, E.A. (2004). Estrogen contributes to seasonal plasticity of the adult avian song control system. - J. Neurobiol. 58: 413-422.
44. StatSoft (1984-1995). Statistica for Windows, edn.5.0 - StatSoft, Tulsa, OK.
45. Stutchbury, B.J.M. & Morton, E.S. (2001). Behavioral Ecology of Tropical Birds. - Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
46. Tobler, M. & Smith, H.G. (2004). Specific floater home ranges and prospective behaviour in the European starling, Sturnus vulgaris. - Naturwissenschaften 91: 85-89.
47. Wingfield, J.C. & Farner, D.S. (1993). Endocrinology of reproduction in wild species. - In: Avian biology 9 (Farner, D.S., King, J.R. & Parkes, K.C., eds). Academic Press, New York, NY, p. 63-327.