01930nas a2200121 4500008004100000245011500041210006900156520145700225100001901682700002501701700002401726856005801750 2021 eng d00aThe evolution of wood warbler flight calls: Species with similar migrations produce acoustically similar calls0 aevolution of wood warbler flight calls Species with similar migr3 a

Diverse animal species engage in long‐distance migrations. Many migrants travel in groups, and communication within these groups may be important to survival and successful migration. We examined migration and communication in 36 species of wood warblers (Parulidae), songbirds that breed in North America and migrate in mixed‐species flocks to their wintering grounds. During migration, wood warblers produce short vocalizations called “flight calls.” The function of flight calls and the patterns of acoustic similarity between species are poorly understood. We investigated whether acoustic similarity of flight calls of different species of warbler reflects the similarity in their migratory journeys or their phylogenetic relatedness. We found that phylogeny, similarity in breeding latitude, and overlap in the timing of migration predict acoustic flight call similarity across warbler species. Further, we found that phylogeny, similarity in migration distance, and overlap in wintering range predict acoustic flight call similarity in a subset of 12 species with highly similar calls, although this analysis has a small sample size. We conclude that migratory similarity may be an important force driving the evolution of acoustically similar calls in wood warblers, in addition to phylogenetic relatedness. Acoustic convergence in these species may facilitate communication between individuals with similar migrations.

1 aGayk, Zach, G.1 aSimpson, Richard, K.1 aMennill, Daniel, J. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evo.1416702109nas a2200253 4500008004100000022001400041245006900055210006500124260001600189520134000205653002301545653001201568653003001580653001301610653001501623653000901638100002201647700002201669700002301691700003101714700003101745700002401776856005501800 2018 eng d a2193-719200aThe buzz segment of Savannah sparrow song is a population marker0 abuzz segment of Savannah sparrow song is a population marker cMar-12-20183 a

Different components of learned birdsongs change at different rates across generations, and the rate of change may correspond to the information carried by each component. To characterize the role of the buzz segment of Savannah sparrow songs, we examined recordings from southeastern Canada and the northeastern US and fully characterized buzz segments in songs recorded from two populations: one on Kent Island, NB, Canada and another in Williamstown, MA, USA. Buzzes varied geographically: Kent Island buzzes had higher mean frequencies and shorter pulse periods than Williamstown buzzes and the differences between the two populations persisted over time. Population-specific buzz characteristics also appeared to be resistant to change. Variants appeared on Kent Island in the late 1980s and were learned by some younger birds; however, these buzz variants disappeared by 2011. We conducted a playback experiment and found that males from both populations had longer responses to local buzzes. Therefore, buzz structure varies geographically; population characteristics of the buzz persist through time despite the introduction of variant forms; and territorial males discriminate between buzzes from different populations. The learned buzz segment of the song may thus serve as a population marker for Savannah sparrows.

10aCultural evolution10adialect10aPasserculus sandwichensis10aplayback10aPopulation10asong1 aWilliams, Heather1 aRobins, Clint, W.1 aNewman, Amy, E. M.1 aFreeman-Gallant, Corey, R.1 aWheelwright, Nathaniel, T.1 aMennill, Daniel, J. uhttp://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10336-018-1611-702483nas a2200241 4500008004100000022001300041245011000054210006900164260001600233300001200249490000800261520153400269653001301803653001801816653002301834653002601857653002501883653002501908100002201933700002901955700002401984856023302008 2018 eng d a0003347200aSing and do not stray: male rufous-and-white wrens use duets and physical behaviours to guard their mates0 aSing and do not stray male rufousandwhite wrens use duets and ph cJan-09-2018 a35 - 420 v1433 a

In diverse animal taxa, breeding partners coordinate their vocalizations to produce vocal duets. One seldom-studied hypothesis for duets is the paternity guarding hypothesis, which states that male animals create duets to advertise their partner's mated status and minimize extrapair mating attempts between their partner and other males. We experimentally tested the paternity guarding hypothesis in rufous-and-white wrens, Thryophilus rufalbus, a neotropical duetting songbird. We designed a two-part playback experiment: males first experienced a simulated territorial intrusion by a rival male, and were then given opportunities to answer their female breeding partner's songs to create duets. We repeated this experiment during the female's fertile and nonfertile breeding stages. In support of predictions of the paternity guarding hypothesis, male wrens created more duets with their partner's songs during the fertile period compared to the nonfertile period. Additionally, male wrens appeared to physically guard their mates with greater intensity during the fertile period but did not increase their overall song rates, demonstrating that increased duetting rates during the fertile period were a result of a change in male duetting behaviour, rather than a change in song rate. Our study is among the first to experimentally test the paternity guarding hypothesis for duet function, and suggests that male rufous-and-white wrens use both vocal and physical behaviours to guard their paternity.

10aduetting10amate guarding10apaternity guarding10arufous-and-white wren10aThryophilus rufalbus10aThryothorus rufalbus1 aKahn, Zachary, A.1 aMoser-Purdy, Christopher1 aMennill, Daniel, J. uhttps://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0003347218302203https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0003347218302203?httpAccept=text/xmlhttps://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0003347218302203?httpAccept=text/plain02429nas a2200253 4500008004100000245012300041210006900164260001600233300001400249490000800263520160100271653002601872653002501898653003401923653002201957653001501979100002001994700002702014700002302041700001702064700002402081700001502105856005502120 2018 eng d00aQuiet violence: Savannah Sparrows respond to playback-simulated rivals using low-amplitude songs as aggressive signals0 aQuiet violence Savannah Sparrows respond to playbacksimulated ri cJan-10-2018 a724 - 7320 v1243 a

When animals compete over resources such as breeding territories, they often use signals to communicate their aggressive intentions. By studying which signals are associated with aggressive interactions, we gain a deeper appreciation of animal behaviour. We studied aggressive signalling in male Savannah Sparrows, Passerculus sandwichensis, focusing on signals that precede physical attack against territorial intruders. We simulated intruders using song playback and taxidermic models, and we determined which behaviours were associated with physical attack. Previous studies that have used this approach suggest that many species produce songs of dramatically lower amplitude, or “soft songs,” as signals of aggressive intention. Savannah Sparrows, however, are not known to produce soft songs, and therefore, they provided an interesting system for testing signals that predict attack. Of 93 playback subjects, 23 males attacked the simulated intruder and 70 did not. To our surprise, Savannah Sparrows produced soft songs, and the number of soft songs was a significant predictor of attack on the simulated intruder. Birds also showed a nonsignificant tendency to produce more “chip” calls prior to attack on the simulated intruder, whereas three other measured behaviours (aggressive calls, wing waving and passes over the model) did not predict attack. Our study contributes to the growing body of research on aggressive territorial signals and reveals that soft song is an even more widespread signal of aggression in songbirds than previously recognized.

10aaggressive signalling10aanimal communication10alow‐amplitude vocalizations10aSavannah Sparrows10asoft songs1 aMoran, Ines, G.1 aDoucet, Stéphanie, M.1 aNewman, Amy, E. M.1 aNorris, Ryan1 aMennill, Daniel, J.1 aKoenig, W. uhttp://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/eth.2018.124.issue-1002451nas a2200169 4500008004100000245011300041210006900154260001600223300001400239490000800253520189100261100002502152700002402177700002202201700001502223856004302238 2017 eng d00aSexual differentiation and seasonal variation in response to conspecific and heterospecific acoustic signals0 aSexual differentiation and seasonal variation in response to con cJan-06-2017 a460 - 4660 v1233 a

Interspecific territoriality is frequently reported between closely related species; however, few studies have demonstrated interspecific territoriality between distantly related species living in sympatry. We conducted playback experiments to investigate territorial behaviour in male and female White-bellied Wrens (Uropsila leucogastra) in response to simulated conspecific and heterospecific intruders during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. We explored whether heterospecific songs of the Happy Wren (Pheugopedius felix), a distantly related species and ecological competitor, elicited antagonistic responses from focal White-bellied Wrens, and whether such responses differed between the sexes. We also examined whether male and female responses to conspecific and heterospecific rivals varied with season. We found that male White-bellied Wrens always responded to conspecific song, and responded significantly more to heterospecific song compared to a control stimulus (Tropical Parula, Setophaga pitiayumi). In contrast, although female White-bellied Wrens responded strongly to conspecific song, their response to heterospecific song did not differ significantly from the control stimulus. The proportion of males that responded to heterospecific songs and the proportion of females that responded to conspecific songs varied seasonally, showing significantly lower responses during the breeding season. The intense responses of male White-bellied Wrens to playback of heterospecific songs suggest that they recognise ecological competitors based on their vocal signals. Furthermore, the decrease in agonistic interactions during the breeding season is in line with the hypothesis that aggressive behaviour may be detrimental to reproductive and parental activity, and the hypothesis that heterospecific animals pose less of a threat during the breeding season.

1 aSosa-López, Roberto1 aMennill, Daniel, J.1 aRenton, Katherine1 aKoenig, W. uhttp://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/eth.12616