TY - JOUR

T1 - Territorial responses of male blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus, to UV manipulated neighbours

AU - Poesel, Angelika

AU - Dabelsteen, Torben

AU - Darden, Safi-Kirstine

AU - Delhey, Kasper

AU - Peters, Anne

N1 - Keywords Cyanistes caeruleus - Intra-sexual signal - Playback intrusion - Structural plumage colouration

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - Multiple phenotypic traits can affect the outcome of interactions among territorial animals. Individuals may use current and previously acquired information on phenotypic traits to assess the competitive ability of opponents and adjust the strength of their response depending on the threat the opponent poses. In birds, colourful plumage and song are widespread phenotypic traits. Recent work has shown that ultraviolet (UV) plumage reflectance may be used by males in assessing an opponent's strength and by females in mate choice. In the present study, we investigated whether and how territorial male blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, use previously acquired information from UV reflectance of the crown feathers of neighbours to adjust their response to playback of song of these neighbours simulated to intrude their territory. We compared responses to neighbours with those to unfamiliar strangers with unknown plumage features. We found that subject males with UV-enhanced neighbours responded more strongly to these neighbours than to strangers, i.e. showed more flights, used songs without trill and tended to overlap more songs. Subject males with UV-reduced neighbours gave a lower or similar response to neighbours compared to strangers. This indicates that male blue tits combine previously acquired information about an intruder's plumage with familiarity of its song, and that their response depends on the perceived quality of the neighbour. This study provides evidence that familiarity in combination with multiple signals of quality may influence territorial relations among neighbours.

AB - Multiple phenotypic traits can affect the outcome of interactions among territorial animals. Individuals may use current and previously acquired information on phenotypic traits to assess the competitive ability of opponents and adjust the strength of their response depending on the threat the opponent poses. In birds, colourful plumage and song are widespread phenotypic traits. Recent work has shown that ultraviolet (UV) plumage reflectance may be used by males in assessing an opponent's strength and by females in mate choice. In the present study, we investigated whether and how territorial male blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, use previously acquired information from UV reflectance of the crown feathers of neighbours to adjust their response to playback of song of these neighbours simulated to intrude their territory. We compared responses to neighbours with those to unfamiliar strangers with unknown plumage features. We found that subject males with UV-enhanced neighbours responded more strongly to these neighbours than to strangers, i.e. showed more flights, used songs without trill and tended to overlap more songs. Subject males with UV-reduced neighbours gave a lower or similar response to neighbours compared to strangers. This indicates that male blue tits combine previously acquired information about an intruder's plumage with familiarity of its song, and that their response depends on the perceived quality of the neighbour. This study provides evidence that familiarity in combination with multiple signals of quality may influence territorial relations among neighbours.

U2 - 10.1007/s10336-006-0117-x

DO - 10.1007/s10336-006-0117-x

M3 - Journal article

VL - 148

SP - 179

EP - 187

JO - Journal fur Ornithologie

JF - Journal fur Ornithologie

SN - 0021-8375

ER -