Singing behaviour in relation to polyterritorial polygyny in the wood warbler ( Phylloscopus sibilatrix)

Abstract

Male wood warblers ( Phylloscopus sibilatrix) decreased singing activity after pairing. A few days later they began to sing intensively again, but only in a secondary territory or in an outlying part of the primary territory. The long song characteristic of unpaired males was replaced by a short song after pairing. When singing at a distance from the nest, paired males changed to the long song. It is suggested that song in the wood warbler is important for female attraction and that the singing behaviour found in the studied wood warblers clearly indicates that all paired males tried to attract a second female.