Song Sharing Research Articles

Effects of Music Therapy Activity on the Stress Change of Alcoholics with Extended Song Sharing

Effects of Music Therapy Activity on the Stress Change of Alcoholics with Extended Song Sharing

Repertoire Size and Syllable Sharing in the Song of the Clay-Colored Thrush (Turdus grayi)

Song repertoire size and extent of song sharing provide information about social interactions that occur in songbird species. We recorded the songs of eight male Clay-colored Thrushes (Turdus grayi) in San José, Costa Rica during the 2008 breeding season. We classified 695 songs and 5,032 syllables using visual inspection of spectrograms and spectrogram correlation analysis to measure repertoire size and syllable sharing among a local group of males. Male repertoire size was 10–17 syllable types. Males shared on average 28 ± 15% (SD) syllable types from their repertoires with other males, but a larger proportion of syllable types remained unique to particular males. Extent of repertoire sharing and distance between singing males were not related. Presence of shared and individually unique syllables in the repertoires indicate that imitation, and perhaps improvisation, contribute to development of the song of Clay-colored Thrushes.

Syllable and Song Sharing in a Recently Established Population of House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus)

ABSTRACT. We recorded and analyzed the songs of 23 male House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) at six sites in Sioux County in far northwestern Iowa. We compiled a catalogue of all the syllables detected in the population and examined the extent of syllable sharing and song sharing among individuals both within sites and between sites. Unlike in a population of House Finches studied in Colorado, we found no significant difference between the level of syllable sharing within sites and between sites and no relationship between the extent of syllable sharing and distance between birds. Over 67% of the House Finch syllables recorded previously in eastern Iowa were found in Sioux County, and all House Finches in Sioux County shared two major song themes that were similar to themes found in eastern Iowa. Our findings suggest that the House Finches in Sioux County originated from eastern populations of the species, corroborating the colonization patterns that have been inferred from Breeding Bird Surveys and Chris...

High Level of Song Sharing in an Eastern Population of Song Sparrow (Melospiza Melodia)

Abstract Using shared songs is believed to be an integral part of neighbor communication and territory establishment strategies among many avian species with repertoires. Previous studies of two western subspecies of Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) reported a high level of song sharing among neighboring males, whereas studies of an eastern subspecies have reported a very low level. The purpose of our study was to investigate another population of the eastern subspecies to determine whether higher song-sharing levels existed within its range. Every song in the repertoire of 29 males was compared with the songs of all other males to assess the number of shared songs. For each male, we calculated the mean song-sharing level with neighbors and non-neighbors. Males shared, on average, 33% of their repertoire with neighbors, significantly more than they shared with non-neighbors (27% of their repertoire). Two first-year males learned whole song types from several individuals and preferentially learned the song types shared among those individuals. Our results suggest that the eastern and western subspecies may not differ genetically in the way they learn songs, because song-sharing levels and song learning in our population were more similar to those of the western subspecies than to those of other populations within its own subspecies. Song-sharing differences among eastern populations may be explained instead by factors acting at the level of individual populations. Niveau Élevé de Chants Partagés chez une Population de l'Est de Melospiza melodia

Display Plasticity in Response to a Robotic Lizard: Signal Matching or Song Sharing in Lizards?

AbstractMany territorial songbirds alter the structure of their songs after listening to and interacting repeatedly with the same neighbors. Here, we use a robotic lizard to test for similar learned changes in signal structure in male Sagebrush lizards, Sceloporus graciosus. Subjects were exposed to two types of headbob displays (species‐typical and unusual) both in short‐term tests and in repeated exposures for 10 d. We found no evidence for immediate changes in signal structure to match a particular opponent (signal matching) or long‐term changes after repeated exposure (‘song’ sharing). If anything, the lizards’ displays became less like that of the robotic stimulus over time. Further tests of other taxa are needed to identify the evolutionary forces that lead to these forms of behavioral plasticity and to determine whether song sharing and signal matching are unique characteristic of songbirds. Lizards also became more agitated and produced more highly aggressive displays of their own when confronted with headbob displays that violated the basic syntactic structure of their display system, confirming that they were paying attention to subtle differences in display structure despite the artificial nature of the treatments. Thus, our study also adds to the growing evidence supporting the use of robotic playbacks to study animal communication.

Ecological and Phylogenetic Effects on Song Sharing in Songbirds

AbstractAs a consequence of vocal learning, the songs of male songbirds often vary geographically. We examined three proximate hypotheses that predict variation in the incidence of local song sharing among species: the annual cycle, breeding season duration, and epiphenomenon hypotheses. To test these hypotheses, we compiled data from the literature on local song sharing, annual cycle, breeding location isophane (an index of breeding season duration), repertoire size, and phylogenetic relationships of 65 populations in the family Fringillidae. Mapping characters on the phylogenetic tree revealed that local song sharing, migratory status, and breeding location isophane were randomly distributed on the phylogeny. Breeding isophane and migratory status were themselves correlated and had significant effects on the probability of sharing local songs. As predicted by the annual cycle and breeding season duration hypotheses, males in sedentary populations and populations breeding at low isophanes were more likely to share local songs. In subsets of the data, the annual cycle hypothesis received more support than did the breeding season duration hypothesis. Neither hypothesis explained more than 17% of the variation in the incidence of song sharing, and we suggest that detailed information on song function, male dispersal, and constraints on the timing of song learning will be needed to better predict the occurrence of local song sharing.

Song Sharing in Neighboring and Non‐Neighboring Thrush Nightingales (Luscinia luscinia) and its Implications for Communication

In many passerines, males have repertoires of different songs of which some songs are often shared with other males. Sharing of song repertoires among males can provide insights into the context in which songs were acquired and on the role of song repertoires in inter‐ and intrasexual communication. Here we studied repertoire sharing in male territorial thrush nightingales (Luscinia luscinia). We compared male vocal repertoires of the basic song components, full songs, and the sequencing of songs in a bout. The results show that males differed significantly in the size of their song repertoires but not in the size of the repertoire of basic song components. Moreover, they shared almost all (80%) the repertoire of song components but only 30% of their song types. Neighboring males shared significantly more song types than did non‐neighboring males but interestingly they did not share more basic song components than non‐neighboring males. These results show that the repertoire of basic song components is under much less sexual selection than the size of song repertoires. Sharing of song repertoires among neighbors presumably results from repertoire conversion over time and from males returning to their territories in the following season. Repertoire sharing then can be an indicator of territory tenure and thus it can be important in repelling rivals and in female choice.

Song Sharing by Yellow Warblers Differs Between two Modes of Singing: Implications for Song Function

AbstractI investigated the pattern of song sharing for the two singing modes (Type I and Type II) of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia). There is indirect evidence that males use Type I singing to attract females, and Type II singing to interact with other males, but how males use these singing modes for these functions is unknown. One way in which males might use Type II singing to interact with neighboring males is through the use of “shared songs:” males might preferentially sing songs they share with neighboring males to engage in song type matching or repertoire matching. I tested the prediction that Yellow Warblers should share more of their Type II songs with neighbors compared to non-neighbors, but that there should be no such relationship for Type I songs. I found that males in a Pennsylvania population shared significantly more of their Type II song repertoire with neighbors than with non-neighbors, and that sharing between males declined with distance between their territories. There was no spatial relationship for sharing Type I song types. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that Yellow Warblers use Type II singing to interact with other males using strategies such as song type and repertoire matching.Dendroica petechia Comparte sus Cantos de Dos Modos Diferentes: Implicancias para la Función del CantoResumen. Investigué el modo en que Dendroica petechia comparte sus cantos en relación a dos maneras de cantar (Tipo I y Tipo II). Existe evidencia indirecta que los machos usan cantos de Tipo I para atraer a las hembras y cantos de Tipo II para interactuar con otros machos, pero se desconoce cómo los machos usan estos cantos para estas funciones. Una manera en la que los machos podrían usar cantos de Tipo II para interactuar con machos vecinos es a través del uso de “canciones compartidas:” los machos podrían preferentemente cantar canciones que comparten con machos vecinos para establecer el uso de un tipo de canción o repertorio semejante. Puse a prueba la predicción que D. petechia debería compartir una mayor parte de sus canciones de Tipo II con machos vecinos que con no-vecinos, pero que no debería existir esta relación para canciones de Tipo I. Encontré que los machos de una población de Pensilvania comparten una parte significativamente mayor de su repertorio de canciones de Tipo II con vecinos que con no-vecinos, y que el grado en que los machos comparten canciones disminuye con la distancia entre sus territorios. No hubo una relación espacial en los tipos de canciones compartidas de Tipo I. Estos resultados son consistentes con la hipótesis que D. petechia usa canciones de Tipo II como estrategia para interactuar con otros machos empleando tipo de canciones o repertorios semejantes.

Song Sharing and Repertoires among Migratory and Resident Rufous-Sided Towhees

Among oscines, song sharing with neighbors and large song repertoires may be enhanced in resident populations. This idea was explored with the Rufous-sided Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) by studying singing behavior in a resident Florida and a migratory New York population. Florida males (n = 15) sang an average of eight song types per male, but New York males (n = 15) sang only 3.5. Furthermore, unlike the New York males, the Florida males shared most song types in their larger repertoires with immediate neighbors. These marked differences in sharing and repertoires need further study in the towhees and other species in order to understand more clearly the processes that lead to such population differences.

Song Learning as Evidenced from Song Sharing in Two Hummingbird Species (Colibri coruscans and C. thalassinus)

ABSTRACr.-We have demonstrated that male hummingbirds in the genus Colibri share song types. The Sparkling Violet-ear (C. coruscans) from an Ecuadorian population and Green Violetear (C. thalassinus) from populations in Costa Rica form aggregates or neighborhoods. Males of a neighborhood sing the same song type and those of distant neighborhoods have different song types. The resultant geographic variation in song, we suggest, is due to cultural drift acquired through song learning. Song sharing was determined not only by traditional, visual examination of spectrograms of song but with a relatively new, digital cross-correlation method that permits statistical treatment. The statistical procedures included cluster analysis that reflects the distribution of songs in geographic space and an evaluation for randomness of that distribution by use of the Mantel test. Received 13 May 1993, accepted 30 September 1993.

Song Sharing and Local Dialects in a Population of the European Wren Troglodytes Troglodytes

AbstractSongs were recorded from a local population of 13 male wrens at Wraysbury Lakes, Berkshire, U.K. during 1991. Sonagraphic analysis revealed that there were 15 distinct song types in the population, and that each male had between three and six song types in his repertoire. Song sharing between neighbouring males was particularly high. Six of the males in the population were on the east bank of the lake, separated from the other seven on the west bank by 200 metres of open water. Although three song types were distributed over the whole area, six were unique to the east bank and six to the west. Any male could be classified as an east or west bank male, by the possession of several distinct song types unique to each 'dialect' area. So far, clear examples of dialects have been largely restricted to species with only one or two song types in their repertoires. Song sharing and the development of local dialects in the wren are discussed in relation to current views on mechanisms of social learning in songbirds.

Song Sharing in a Group-Living Songbird, the Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina Tibicen. Part Iii. Sex Specificity and Individual Specificity of Vocal Parts in Communal Chorus and Duet Songs

In this paper we continue our study of the role of song in the social behavior of a cooperatively living songbird, the Australian magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen (Cracticidae). In this species, all members of a cooperative group sing and fight together in defense of their territory. Communal chorus songs consist of loud carol syllables; each individual sings a particular vocal role. We sampled the song repertoires of 24 magpies in 12 territorial groups in Queensland, Australia, and of 12 magpies in 4 territorial groups in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. Our results include: 1. Description of duet and chorus song. Carol portions of song are usually preceded by an introductory warble segment. Carol syllables are diverse in physical structure. We grouped 204 distinct carol syllables into 11 general classes. 2. Between-sex differences in syllable repertoires. Some syllable classes were sex-specific, and a few were sung by magpies of both sexes. Female-specific syllables were more complex structurally than those of males. Females had significantly (p 0.5) in the average percentage of the repertoire shared between same-sex birds who were vs were not territorial neighbors at our Queensland study site. 4. Carol song repertoires. The number of duet song types in each group's repertoire varied widely from group to group. Females had significantly (p<0.05) larger song repertoires than their mates. 5. Carol development in young birds. A young magpie seemed to sing variants of the carol syllables of only one parent, perhaps the same-sex parent, and echoed the parent's carol syllables during communal choruses. 6. Geographic variation in carol syllables. Carol syllables of individuals at our New Zealand study site were also sex-specific, and could be grouped into general classes. No syllables were the same as those recorded from the Australian study birds. 7. Song context. We compared the amount of time magpie groups spent warbling, warble-caroling, and not singing, during five commonly occurring types of contexts. Warbles were most frequent in nonaggressive intragroup contexts. Warble-carols were most frequent in aggressive intergroup contexts. We discuss the function of song in social cohesion, and group and individual recognition ; evolution of duet song; singing behavior of females; and mechanisms of vocal learning.

Song Sharing in a Group-Living Songbird, the Australian Magpie, Gymnorhina Tibicen. Part I. Vocal Sharing Within and Among Social Groups

In this study we investigate the role of song in the social behavior of a cooperatively living songbird, the Australian magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen (Cracticidae). In this species, kin and nonkin cooperative groups exist in the same population. We sampled the vocal repertoires of 23 magpies in six territorial groups and the nonterritorial flock, and of a tame magpie. Our results include: 1. Description of song. Soft warble syllables and loud carol syllables compose magpie songs, sung in communal choruses in both territorial and nonterritorial contexts. Warble syllables are diverse in physical structure. 2. Song repertoires. Most songs are individual-specific, though some are shared. Song variants could be found within the repertoire of a given individual, produced by various means (e.g., recombining segments). 3. Syllable repertoires. We classified 893 syllable types from our study population; 67% were individual-specific, and few were shared by more than two to five birds. 4. Repertoire sharing in groups. We found the average percentage of the repertoire shared between all pairwise combinations of birds higher (p 0.05, Mann-Whitney rank sum test). 5. Syllable sharing and vocal imitation in a tame magpie. A handreared bird had a repertoire consisting in whistles: some were perfect copies of human whistles, and some were improvisations on the same themes. She learned a new whistle from one of her human group mates, the senior author. We discuss vocal imitation and improvisation as major processes in vocal learning; song sharing as a possible badge of recognition for groups; and the function of song in social cohesion.

Song Sharing in a Group-Living Songbird, the Australian Magpie. Part Ii. Vocal Sharing Between Territorial Neighbors, Within and Between Geographic Regions, and Between Sexes

In this study we investigate the role of song in the social behavior of a cooperatively living songbird, the Australian magpie, Gymnorhina ticbicen (Cracticidae). In this species, kin and nonkin cooperative territorial groups exist in the same population. We sampled the vocal repertoire of 23 magpies in six territorial groups and the nonterritorial flock. Groups were located on two farms 2-3 km apart. This paper is the second of a two part paper. In Part I, we described song, and song and syllable repertoires; and we compared song sharing within and among kin and nonkin groups. Our results in Part II include: 1. Local geographic patterns in repertoire sharing. We found the average percentage of the repertoire shared between all pairwise combinations of birds to be lowest for birds in different localities, intermediate for birds in the same locality who are not neighbors, and highest for birds who are group mates or neighbors (p 0.79, Mann-Whitney rank sum test) than by birds of the opposite sex, when all birds of known sex were considered. However, when we considered sharing by group mates or neighbors only, birds did share a significantly (p<0.008) larger percentage of their repertoire with birds of the same sex than with birds of the opposite sex. 3. Sources of vocal imitation. To determine the sources of imitation, we calculated the proportion of a focal bird's repertoire that is shared with different social classes of birds. Birds share more syllables exclusively with group mates than with neighbors, and they share more complex syllables with group mates than with other birds (p<0.001, G test of association). From these data, we discuss the role of vocal imitation in song learning, the timing and social setting of vocal learning, and the territorial functions of song. We conclude that vocal sharing through imitation may function in social affiliation within the group and in territorial defense between groups.

Song Repertoires and Song Sharing by American Redstarts

We studied the extent to which male American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) share songs in their repertoires. Examining samples of songs from three locations in New Brunswick, Canada, we found significant heterogeneity in the frequencies of the different songs across the locations. The extent to which neighbors shared songs related to increasing repertoire size (mean 4.4 songs/adult male). In the relatively larger sample at St. Andrews, neighboring adult males shared significantly more song types (P < 0.05) than did adult males chosen at random. However, this result applied only to individuals with intermediate-sized repertoires (four songs). Subadult males at St. Andrews shared as much with neighboring adult males as did adult males among themselves. In the small, island population at Back Bay, adult males shared noticeably more songs than at St. Andrews. We attribute the difference in degree of song sharing to demographic aspects, including patterns of settlement, interacting with tendencies to copy songs. Therefore, any so-called dialects in songs of American Redstarts seem more as epiphenomena resulting from competiton between males rather than as indications of local adaptations of males. The geographic distribution of similar patterns of sound used in bird song is often considered to reflect one or a number of selective pressures. These include preference for males adapted to local environments and identified by particular song patterns (Baker 1975, Baker et al. 1981); the competitive interactions of males for gaining advantage either through mimicry of superiors (Payne 1981, 1982) or by improving their competitive status in direct aggressive encounters between males (Hinde 1958, Lemon 1968); and the effects of selection on acoustic features of the song by environmental factors (Richards 1981). Alternatively, distributions of bird songs may reflect only the effects of chance with no direct selection involved (Slater et al. 1980). Patterns of song similarity are known to vary considerably across species (Mundinger 1983), consequently a single functional basis for the distribution of bird songs need not apply. In this study, we examined the distribution of songs of American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) resident in coastal New Brunswick. Although islands are common along the coast of New Brunswick, there appear to be no major boundaries to dispersal for this migratory species. Relative to other warblers (Parulidae), this species has moderate-sized repertoires averaging somewhat over four songs per male. We investigated: (1) whether song types were shared to a significant degree among three close sites; and (2) whether sharing was significantly greater between immediate neighbors on contiguous territories than between non-neighbors. In order to make these comparisons, we first established a classification of the songs and considered the problem of repertoire size on the extent of song sharing. Having made these comparisons, we then examine the results in light of the hypotheses cited above. Although this study in itself is not sufficient for the elimination of any of the hypotheses, nonetheless the results point to the use of the songs in competition between males (see Discussion). METHODS AND MATERIALS

Song Sharing in the Brown‐headed cowbird (Molothrus ater)

Abstract and SummarySongs were recorded from two separate populations of brown‐headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater). High levels of song sharing were found in each and, in one population, paired males shared more song types than did the remainder of the population. Song learning, in conjunction with low dispersal, is thought to contribute heavily to song sharing in this species.ZusammenfassungMännliche Kuhstärlinge (Molothrus ater) teilen viele ihrer Gesangstypen mit Nachbarn. Zwei weit voneinander entfernte Populationen haben völlig verschiedene Gesangstypen. Wiederfänge beringter Individuen belegen, daß die Jungen wie die Erwachsenen heimattreu sind. Das und die Tendenz, die Gesänge früh im Leben zu lernen, scheint sich auf den Grad der Gesangsübereinstimmung auszuwirken. Die Folgen der Gesangsübereinstimmung in dieser Art sind unbekannt.