Acoustic parameters of begging calls indicate chick body condition in Wilson’s storm-petrels Oceanites oceanicus

Abstract

Begging behaviour as a key element in the parent–offspring conflict has been studied in many avian species. These types of studies have nearly exclusively been based on call counts, and it is still not entirely clear whether begging calls themselves contain any information. We studied begging behaviour in Wilson’s storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus, a small procellariiform seabird. This species provides the opportunity to study the signalling value of begging calls in the absence of potentially confounding factors such as nestling competition, previous feeding experiences and predation pressure. We applied a new method using a semi-automatic spectrogram analysis software that measures the acoustic parameters of begging calls. Our analysis revealed that the frequency parameters of begging calls reflect chicks’ current body condition, with chicks in poorer condition uttering calls at higher frequencies. Chicks uttering higher pitched calls also received larger meals. Our study shows that certain acoustic parameters of begging calls can indicate the state of a chick in Wilson’s storm-petrels.