Effects of nestboxes and males on female song activity in the European starling: An experimental study

Behaviour

Volumn 144, Issue 10, 2007, Pages 1255-1271

  Pavlova, Denitza Z ^a   Pinxten, Rianne ^a   Darras, Veerle M ^b   Eens, Marcel ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP   (Belgium)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LEUVEN   (Belgium)

Author keywords

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

Indexed keywords

PASSERI; STURNIDAE; STURNUS VULGARIS;

EID: 34548673278     PISSN: 00057959     EISSN: 1568539X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1163/156853907781890968     Document Type: Article

References (45)

1. Árcese, P., Stoddard, RK. & Heibert, S.M. (1988). The form and function of song in female Song Sparrows. -Condor 90: 44-50.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Brunton, D.H. & Li, X. (2006). The song structure and seasonal patterns of vocal behavior of male and female bellbirds (Anthomis melanura). -J. Ethol. 24: 17-25.
6. Catchpole, C. & Slater, P. (1995). Bird song: Biological themes and variations. - Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
7. Dawson, A. (1983). Plasma gonadal steroid levels in wild Starlings {Sturnus vulgaris) during the annual cycle and in relation to the stages of breeding. - Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 49: 286-294.
8. Dawson, A., King, V.M., Bentley, G.E. & Ball, G.F. (2001). Photoperiodic control of seasonality in birds. - J. Biol. Rhythms 16: 365-380.
9. De Ridder, E., Pinxten, R., Mees, V. & Eens, M. (2002). Short- and long-term effects of malelike concentrations of testosterone on female European starlings {Sturnus vulgaris). - Auk 119:487-497.
10. Duffy, D.L. & Ball, G.F. (2002). Song predicts immunocompetence in male European starlings {Sturnus vulgaris). - Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B 269: 847-852.
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. (1993). Function of song and song repertoire in the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris): an aviary experiment. - Behaviour 125: 51-66.
13. Eens, M., Pinxten, R. & Verheyen, R.F. (1994). Variation in singing activity during the breeding cycle of the European starling Sturnus vulgaris. - Belg. J. Zool. 124: 167-174.
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. Garamszegi, L., Pavlova, D., Eens, M. & Møller, A. (2007). The evolution of song in female birds in Europe. -Behav. Ecol. 18: 86-96.
17. Gwinner, H., Gwinner, E. & Dittami, J. (1987). Effects of nest boxes on LH, testosterone, testicular size and the reproductive behavior of male European starlings in spring. - Behaviour 103: 68-82.
18. 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: 2.1-31.
19. Halkin, S.L. (1997). Nest-vicinity song exchanges may coordinate biparental care of northern cardinals. - Anim. Behav. 54: 189-198.
20. Hausberger, M., Henry, L. & Richard, M.A. (1995). Testosterone-induced singing in female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). -Ethology 99: 193-208.
21. Henry, L. & Hausberger, M. (2001). Differences in the social context of song production in captive male and female European starlings. -CR. Acad. Sci. III 324: 1167-1.174.
22. 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.
23. Hoelzel, A.R. (1986). Song characteristics and response to playback of male and female robins Erithacus rubecula. - Ibis 128: 115-127.
24. Ketterson, E.D., Nolan Jr., V. & Sandel, M. (2005). Testosterone in Females: Mediator of Adaptive Traits, Constraint on Sexual Dimorphism, or Both? -Am. Nat. 166: S85-S98.
25. 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.
26. Merkel, F.W. (1982). Sozialverhalten von individuell markierten staren Sturnus vulgaris in einer kleinen nistkastenkolonie. - Luscinia 44: 239-254.
27. Pavlova, D., Pinxten, R. & Eens, M. (2005). Female song in European Starling: sex differences, complexity, and composition. - Condor 107: 558-568.
28. Pavlova, D., Pinxten, R. & Eens, M. (2007). Seasonal singing patterns and individual consistency in song activity in female European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). -Behaviour 144: 663-680.
29. Pinxten, R. & Eens, M. (1997). Copulation and mate guarding patterns in polygynous European starlings. - Anim. Behav. 54: 45-58.
30. Pinxten, R. & Eens, M. (1998). Male starlings sing most in the late morning, following egglaying: A strategy to protect their paternity? - Behaviour 135: 1197-1211.
31. 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.
32. Riebel, K., Hall, M.L. & Langmore, N.E. (2005). Female songbirds still struggling to be heard. -Trends Ecol. Evol. 20: 419-420.
33. Riters, L.V. & Ball, G.F. (1999). Lesions to the medial preoptic area affect singing in the male European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). - Horm. Behav. 36: 276-286.
34. 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.
35. 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.
36. Sandell, M.I. & Smith, H.G. (1997). Female aggression in the European starling during the breeding season. - Anim. Behav. 53: 13-23.
37. SAS Institute (2002-2003). SAS/STAT User's Guide, Version 9.1.3 edn. - SAS Institute, Cary, NC
38. Schüz, E. (1943). Brutbiologische Beobachtungen an Staren 1943 in der Vogelwarte Rossitten. -J. Ornithol. 91: 388-405.
39. Stutchbury, B J.M. & Morton, E.S. (2001). Behavioral ecology of tropical birds. - Academic Press, San Diego.
40. Tramontin, A.D., Wingfield, J.C. & Brenowitz, E.A. (1999). Contributions of Social Cues and Photoperiod to Seasonal Plasticity in the Adult Avian Song Control System. - J. Neurosci. 19: 476-483.
41. 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.
42. Voigt, C. & Goymann, W. (in press). Sex-role reversal is reflected, in the brain of African black coucals (Centropus grillii). - Dev. Neurobiol.
43. Vondrasek, J.R. (2006). Social factors affect the singing rates of female northern cardinals Cardinalis cardinalis. - J. Avian Biol. 37: 52-57.
44. Wingfield, J.C., Hegner, R.E., Dufty Jr., A.M. & Ball, G.F. (1990). The "challenge hypothesis": theoretical implications for patterns of testosterone secretion, mating systems, and breeding strategies of birds. - Am, Nat. 136: 829-846.
45. 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.