Territorial Behavior Research Articles

Comparison of nest site selection in Mute Swan Cygnus olor and the expanding Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus

The warming climate is giving migratory birds new opportunities to extend their breeding ranges. These expansions may have a significant impact on other local bird communities. Here, we investigate the nest site selection of Mute Swan Cygnus olor, and the expanding Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus. The study aims to assess the differences in habitat use by these two swan species in a lowland anthropogenic landscape. It examines the number of breeding pairs and the surface areas of nesting zones in different habitat types. The field procedures involved the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to survey and locate nests, with geotagged photographs taken to map nest locations. Our results show that Mute Swans primarily occupy oxbows, while Whooper Swans predominantly nest in pond complexes. Moreover, GLM models indicate that Mute Swans tend to choose open areas within a radius of 200 m around the nests, whereas Whooper Swans avoid built-up areas, often choosing forested sites within a radius of 500 m of their nests. These findings suggest that the expansion of the Whooper Swan population has led to changes in the breeding behaviour and habitat use of sympatric Mute Swan populations. The territorial behaviour and aggression of Whooper Swan may be driving Mute Swan away from fishpond habitats. We conclude that interactions between the two swan species are dynamic and have not yet stabilized, so this is an issue that needs to be closely monitored. Understanding these dynamics is essential for the effective conservation and management of wetland habitats in the face of ongoing climate change and shifting breeding ranges of birds.

Collective action problems led to the cultural transformation of Sāmoa 800 years ago.

In this research we identify the processes leading to hierarchical society in a region of Sāmoa, the often-labelled 'birthplace' of the Polynesian chiefdoms. Our analyses in the Falefa Valley on 'Upolu island combine lidar mapping and ground survey to reveal an extensive system of archaeological features: rock walls, ditches, and platforms. Excavation and radiocarbon dating underpin a feature chronology and characterize feature variation. Soil nutrient analyses and geoarchaeological coring indicate spatial differences in the agricultural potentional of the valley and human modification of the environment over time. Our results demonstrate that the construction of large rock walls, some several hundred meters long, began approximately 900-600 years ago, shortly after rapid population rise in Sāmoa. This was followed by the building of small rock walls, often enclosing rectilinear fields or platforms. Both rock wall types are concentrated in the western and northern regions of the valley and greater rock wall densities are associated with areas of higher agricultural potential. The earliest wall construction was penecontemporaneous with partial forest removal that created a more productive wetland environment in the southeastern region of the valley, an area later a focus of agricultural ditching. We propose that with population rise the variable fertility of agricultural land became a significant resource gradient, influencing the population in two ways. First, areas of more fertile agricultural land promoted territorial behaviour, including large rock walls, and led to a collective action problem. Second, niche construction in the form of human-induced environmental change created a productive wetland agricultural system that was enhanced with a reticulate ditch network, the maintenance of which also led to a collective action problem. We conclude that in the Falefa Valley, the second largest catchment in Sāmoa, collective action problems were the cause of increased social hierarchy and may underlie the origins of chiefdoms throughout Polynesia.

Observations of the territorial behavior of the Prothonotary Warbler: male within- and between-season relocations, polyterritoriality, and the role of extraterritorial explorations

Observations of the territorial behavior of the Prothonotary Warbler: male within- and between-season relocations, polyterritoriality, and the role of extraterritorial explorations

Review of butterfly territorial behaviour and contests over mating territories

Review of butterfly territorial behaviour and contests over mating territories

Nature is ours! – Psychological ownership and preferences for wind energy

Psychological ownership (PO) is a phenomenon whereby individuals feel ownership of goods they do not necessarily formally own. A substantial body of literature in marketing, consumer psychology, and organizational sciences conceptualizes PO as value-enhancing and an underlying factor of the endowment effect. Recent psychological research has documented that people can also experience PO of environmental public goods and suggested that PO could generate land use conflicts and territorial behavior, which is particularly relevant for renewable energy development. Renewable energy represents a critical social issue with competing interests and policy objectives, often faced with severe public opposition. More research is needed on the underlying mechanisms of opposition to mitigate conflicts and increase efficiency in policy implementation. In this paper, we assess how PO influences people's economic choices and valuation of environmental effects from wind energy, illuminating psychological processes underlying decision-making. First, we provide a novel theoretical framework suggesting that PO increases people's valuation of environmental public goods and leads to resistance against their transformation due to weak substitutability between environmental protection and money income. We test these predictions in two discrete choice experiments on preferences for wind energy, where one examination is conducted from a local perspective and the other from a national perspective. The national experiment permits the analysis of spatial dimensions of PO and willingness to pay to avoid wind energy externalities. Using a hybrid mixed logit approach, we find consistent support for hypothesized effects in both experiments. Our scientific findings suggest that the PO phenomenon should be given more attention in public management of renewable energy development to overcome land use conflicts and territorial behavior.

Rapid production of chimeric silkworm/spider silk with improved mechanical properties by infection of nonpermissive Bombyx mori with recombinant AcMNPV harboring native-size of spidroin genes

Spider silks with excellent mechanical properties attract more attention from scientists worldwide, and the dragline silk that serves as the framework of the spider's web is considered one of the strongest fibers. However, it is unfeasible for large-scale production of spider silk due to its highly territorial, cannibalistic, predatory, and solitary behavior. Herein, to alleviate some of these problems and explore aneasy way to produce spider fibers, we constructed recombinant baculovirus Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) simultaneously expressing Trichonephila clavipes native ampullate spidroin 2 (MaSp-G) and spidroin 1 (MaSp-C) driven by the promoters of silkworm fibroin genes, to infect the nonpermissive Bombyx mori larvae at the fifth instar. MaSp-G and MaSp-C were co-expressed in the posterior silk glands (PSGs) of infected silkworms and successfully secreted into the lumen of the silk gland for fibroin globule assembly. The integration of MaSp-G and MaSp-C into silkworm silk fibers significantly improved the mechanical properties of these chimeric silk fibers, especially the strength and extensibility, which may be caused by the increment of β-sheet in the chimeric silkworm/spider silk fiber. These results demonstrated that silkworms could be developed as the nonpermissive heterologous host for the mass production of chimeric silkworm/spider silk fibers via the recombinant baculovirus AcMNPV.

The devil is in the details: exploring how functionally distinct round goby is among native fish in the Baltic Sea

Understanding the characteristics and conditions that make non-indigenous species (NIS) successful at establishing in recipient communities is a key in determining their potential impacts on native species, as well as to improve management actions such as prevention of future invasions. The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is one of the most widespread non-indigenous fish species in the Northern Hemisphere, including the coastal zones of the Baltic Sea. The impacts of round goby in the Baltic Sea are pronounced and multifaceted, yet our knowledge regarding the underlying assembly processes determining its establishment is limited. To overcome this knowledge gap, we applied a trait-based approach to assess the degree of niche overlap and functional (trait) similarity between round goby and native fish species in coastal areas from the Baltic Sea, based on the functional distinctiveness metric. Our results show that round goby is generally quite similar (or not dissimilar) to the native fish of the regional species pool, at least in terms of its overall trait composition. Conversely, round goby demonstrates pronounced differences compared to the native community in its display of parental care and territorial behaviour. Such differences in individual traits could play an important role in round goby’s invasion success in the Baltic Sea, including its interactions with native species (e.g. competition). Our results and their potential implications may be highly relevant for conservation and management if integrated within existing risk assessment tools for biological invasions in order to prioritise and enhance the effectiveness of preventative actions towards the expansion of round goby.

The pandemic effect on GHG emission variation at the sub-national level and translation into policy opportunities

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories are commonly compiled at country level to monitor national progress towards nationally or internationally agreed targets. While they can support national climate change mitigation strategies, accounting for the intra-national heterogeneity of a country can draw different conclusions directly linked to the socio-economic and environmental sub-national context. This means that more refined and accurate policies and mitigation strategies can be designed when supported by GHG inventories at sub-national scale. The differences between sub-national territorial emissive behavior can be revealed by subjecting different territories to the same stress factors. A complete GHG emissions inventory, based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines, is compiled for three diverse administrative territories, in terms of scale, socio-economic contexts, and environmental conditions. By selecting three diverse sub-national contexts belonging to the same national territory – Italy – the analysis provides highly detailed information on the emissive status and behavior and delivers insights that national inventories fail to provide. The COVID-19 pandemic is considered as a stress factor; therefore, the reference years are 2019 and 2020 during which GHG emissions are detected. The study will test the capacity of sub-national GHG emission inventories, compiled by scaling the IPCC methodology to the sub-national level, to detect such differences through the lens of the pandemic. This allows obtaining detailed information and linking the pandemic effect to the GHG emissions of particular activities, which can inspire effective sub-national context-specific mitigation actions. Furthermore, we show that environmental and economic metrics are not as strictly coupled as they would appear at national level.

Analysis Evaluation of Resource Value Effects Territorial Defense by Broad-Tailed and Rufous Humming Birds

Hummingbirds of the species Selasphorous platycercus and Selasphorous rufus were studied in Colorado, where they displayed territorial behaviour at feeders containing 10%, 20%, and 30% sucrose solutions. At each of the three energy availability levels, the number of invaders, the number of territory owners, and the level of Defence were recorded. After being forced out of their breeding area by Rufous Hummingbirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds only bother to defend locations of inferior quality. Both Wide-tailed and Rufous hummingbirds, while keeping tabs on important locations, resort to more flamboyant modes of behaviour, such as extended pursuits augmented with chip cries and aimless wing flapping. According to certain probes, a chase is ready to start if chip calls and hovering are any indication. However, I learned that when an intruder was present, it was only natural to want to get rid of them. Hovering and chip calls were utilised to increase the intensity of the chase. Broad-tailed Hummingbirds were less likely than Rufous Hummingbirds to make chip sounds or hover without giving pursuit.

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) responses towards simulated territorial intrusion (STI) vary in strength during the non-breeding season — a matter of temperature and photoperiod?

Abstract Many bird species defend their territories against conspecifics during the breeding season. Although some temperate species have been observed to defend territories outside of the breeding season, such cases are rarely noted in the literature, and it remains largely unknown which environmental factors influence such behaviour. In this study, we investigated non-breeding territorial behaviour in the Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea). Territorial responses were elicited with a simulated territory intrusion (playbacks of calls combined with a wooden model of nuthatch) in autumn, winter and spring. Territorial responses did not differ between autumn and winter but differed between the autumn/winter and spring; they declined until about mid-December (winter) and increased after that into the spring. We found an increase in territorial responses with increasing photoperiod (day length) in autumn and with decreasing ambient temperature during spring. Our study provides novel evidence about non-breeding territorial behaviour in temperate birds and indicates that this behaviour is influenced by environmental factors.

Emergence of games from ecological trade-offs: longevity changes strategies for extra-pair mating in birds

Each member of a breeding pair benefits if the other does more of the parental investment, so there is scope for behaviours that can be interpreted as both cooperative and competitive games between males and females. Extra-pair mating, widespread among socially monogamous birds, adds extra conflict but also potential opportunity to these social interactions. We analyse an individual-based model of a social environment with simple behavioural strategies where game-like patterns and cooperative outcomes emerge. The model focuses on three evolving traits: female propensity for extra-pair copulations and male investment in territorial behaviour and care. Male traits are reaction norms that use experienced within and extra-pair copulations as information input. We found that female extra-pair mating provided incentives for males to reduce territorial aggression and increase care for offspring. However, when adult survival was higher, male investment in care and territoriality changed from being negatively to positively correlated. This happened because longer life expectancy gave more behavioural opportunities for males, where nest desertion maximises lifetime male fitness when female extra-pair copulation is high. This outcome evolved gradually, with stable periods of intermediate extra-pair mating and low territoriality. These were punctuated by cycles of high extra-pair mating, nest desertion, reduced extra-pair mating and relapse to aggressive territoriality before a new stable phase was established. Each successive trait cycle was faster and smaller, indicating that through evolution of reaction norms, the gene pool has a long history that canalizes the evolution of behaviours, which can be interpreted as emergence and refinement of frequency-dependent games.Significance statementMost birds that mate in monogamous pairs engage in extra-pair copulations. Males of some species invest (in varying proportions) in offspring that are genetically related only to their social female. The great variability of extra-pair mating levels among different species and populations, supported by numerous field studies, indicates that social and ecological factors play a crucial role in shaping the behaviour. We analyse a computer model in which extra-pair mating evolves concurrently with male reproductive investments in territory defence and offspring care and show how common ecological trade-offs may change the social dynamics within a breeding population and lead to the emergence of complex social interactions between males, females and their neighbours.

VOCALIZATION AND BEHAVIOR OF THE SOOTY-HEADED BULBUL (<i>PYCNONOTUS AURIGASTER</i>), THE STREAK-EARED BULBUL (<i>PYCNONOTUS CONRADI</i>) AND THE STRIPE-THROATED BULBUL (<i>PYCNONOTUS FINLAYSONI</i>) (PYCNONOTIDAE, AVES) IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM

The bulbul family Pycnonotidae is an Old-World group of tropical birds that plays important roles in tree seed dispersal. The behavior and vocalization of bulbuls have been studied only in a few species. The present study’s objective is to describe, for the first time, the acoustic and social behavior of three species of bulbuls of the genus Pycnonotus: the Sooty-headed bulbul (P. aurigaster), the Streak-eared bulbul (P. conradi), and the Stripe-throated bulbul (P. finlaysoni). Field studies were conducted from November 2021 to May 2022 in the Cattien National Park, Dong Nai Province, Vietnam, where all three species are sympatric and tend to inhabit disturbed biotopes. We analyzed “observations”, that is, a single record of a bird or a group of birds of a given species. During each observation (about 800 in total), the behavior of the birds was described and, when possible, vocalizations were recorded. The total duration of phonograms of all three species amounted to ca 227 min. The sooty-headed and streak-eared bulbuls are social birds that kept pairs throughout the year, but often, especially during the non-breeding season, gathered in larger groups. Pair members and individuals from neighboring pairs maintained acoustic contact with each other all the time. To do so, they used calls: broadband calls (noise sounds without clear structure, but with a wide continuous frequency spectrum) emitted by streak-eared bulbuls, vs tonal calls (musical sounds showing one clearly defined frequency) by sooty-headed bulbuls. Both these species singing were only rarely observed, this possibly being due to reduced territorial behavior in these birds. The Stripe-throated bulbul differs from the other two in singing more frequently, along with producing calls, and the song could be used for territorial purposes. We assume that territorial behavior is better expressed in stripe-headed bulbuls than in the other two species. However, even stripe-throated bulbuls did not react to playback simulated territorial intrusion in our experiments. We assume that vocalizations play important roles in the communication of the three species because we noted these or those sounds in almost all observations. Moreover, we observed a general increase in vocal activity at the beginning of the breeding season (February–March). In addition, during this time, bulbuls were most often to sing.

Territorial Invasion: A Behaviour in Sustaining Social Space in a Kampung. A case study: Prawirotaman, Indonesia

Tourism impacts spatial changes in the urban neighbourhood, including Prawirotaman, which is experiencing a loss of social space. The community continues to strive for its social spaces in its private transitional space, namely the house yard and terrace. Hence, this study aims to explore the territorial behaviour of kampung residents amid the neighbourhood transformation. The study focuses on the formation and distribution of interaction spaces within kampung and the residents’ perception of the transitional space territoriality. This study was conducted qualitatively. The observations were conducted after afternoon prayer (Asr) and evening prayer (Maghrib). The data was collected from snapshots and using Global Positioning Systems (GPS), then imported into ArcGIS, and interviews were presented on emotion maps and narratives. The data were analysed with content and behaviour mapping approaches. This research found that territorial invasion can be defined as a local’s territorial behaviour for sustaining social space amid the kampung’s spatial transformation due to tourism. Hence, territoriality is not only related to the spatial modification to control a space. This research contributes to understanding architecture behaviour and policy making, especially in an urban village with tourism activities.

An Observational Study on Behaviour of Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta) Near Human Residence in Uttar Pradesh, India

The current trend of Rhesus monkey movement towards human settlement is alarming in India. The behaviour of monkey is changing for better adaptation near human residence. The aim of this work was to assess the behaviour and to record the negative impact of monkeys near human residence. The study was conducted during January 2021 to December 2021 on 150 monkeys (approximate value) for a period of one year, Rajiv Gandhi South Campus, Banaras Hindu University, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The direct observational method was used in present study to assess behaviour of monkeys. The territorial behaviour, feeding, grooming, clashes within group, playing, sleeping, arboreality, reproduction, interaction with human, communication, interaction with dogs, and peculiar behaviours were observed during study period. The monkeys had well defined territories, diverse feeding habits, groomed each other during rest hours and had better communication skill. The area dominated by monkeys leads to economic losses and affected the physical and mental health of human.

Probabilistic models and contingency tables for studying potential species interactions between two intertidal decapods in the north of Chile (Cifuncho, 25°S, Antofagasta region, Chile)

Abstract The northern Chilean coast is characterized by its high productivity and diversity due to the presence of the cold, nutrient-rich water of the Humboldt Current. In this scenario, the rocky shore provides many microhabitats for invertebrates such as crustaceans. The aim of the present study was to analyse potential species interactions using probabilistic models and contingency tables. In this particular case we analysed the potential interactions between two sympatric intertidal decapods, Cyclograpsus cinereus and Petrolisthes granulosus, on the rocky shores of Cifuncho Bay, an isolated bay in the north of Chile. The results revealed that both species had a uniform pattern, that was adjusted to a binomial distribution for C. cinereus, and a Poisson distribution for P. granulosus. These results are probably due to territorial behaviour, and this was corroborated by the results of the contingency table, which denoted the independence of both species. These results would not coincide with classical observations of intertidal decapods on rocky shores of continental Chile, as those denoted a gregarious pattern. However, on the other hand, the present results do not explain any details about potential interactions between the two species here analysed.

DNA metabarcoding reveals the diet of the invasive fish Oreochromis mossambicus in mangroves of São Tomé Island (Gulf of Guinea)

AbstractInvasive species can trigger profound effects on recipient ecosystems, namely through the food web. Despite being recognized as one of the worst invasive species, little is known about the feeding ecology of the Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus. To understand how this invasive species might impact food webs, we applied metabarcoding to analyze its diet’s composition in two African mangroves, in the Obô Natural Park in the oceanic island of São Tomé. Given the particular importance of mangroves as fish nurseries, we specifically aimed to determine if this invader might predate on other fish species. However, we found that tilapia were mostly phytoplanktivorous and indication on predation of other fish was very limited. Instead, due to their local high densities, tilapia may impact basal trophic levels and nutrient availability with the potential to cascade through the food web by means of bottom-up disruption. In addition, we recorded important changes in the taxonomic composition of the diet, linked to locations and life stages, suggesting that its opportunistic feeding associated with its aggressive territorial behavior may result in resource competition with native species with which it has overlapping dietary niches.

MOBILITY AS CENTRAL ELEMENT IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: FROM ACCELERATION TO CONTAINMENT. EXPERIENCE AND LESSONS FROM GALICIA (SPAIN)

The COVID-19 pandemic developed in a context of hypermobility. International globalised financial capitalism has been consolidated at the beginning of the 21st century and it has resulted in an unprecedented increase in mobility. In Galicia (an autonomous region located in the northwest of Spain), as in many other Spanish, European and world territories, mobility restrictions were carried out according to different criteria. Here we will be concerned with showing the effectiveness of the different measures taken by the national and regional governments, linked to mobility and pandemic management. To achieve this objective, in addition to the official reports from the competent authorities, we use detailed data on the number and addresses of those infected during the first wave. We have this information because we were selected by the Government of Galicia to carry out a study on the territorial behaviour of the pandemic in Galicia.

Vocalizations of two conspecific damselfish (Pomacentridae) at two Australian World Heritage sites: The Ningaloo Coast and the Great Barrier Reef

Novel methods to use Ocean Sound to address ecological questions are increasingly being developed but require optimization and validation to ensure their reliability. Source validation, increasing the number of known soniferous species of marine fauna, and characterizing their acoustic repertoires are important components of this effort. Coral reefs are remarkably complex, diverse, and noisy environments, inhabited by many soniferous species, hindering the association of vocalizations with the emitting species. Damselfish (Pomacentridae) are common and conspicuous reef fishes that have been relatively well-studied due to their abundance, territorial behaviors, and sound production. Most fish sound studies support that fish vocalizations are species-specific, often showing niche acoustic partitioning to avoid competition across frequency and time. It is imperative to record fish vocalizations in the field to avoid distortion in their acoustic attributes, which then can be used for further analyses such as automated detections. Here, we characterize the vocalizations of Dascyllus aruanus and Dascyllus reticulatus using field-experimental settings for in situ recordings from the Ningaloo Coast and the Great Barrier Reef. [Work supported by the BHP-AIMS Australian Coral Reef Resilience Initiative. JCAS was supported by Curtin University and BHP-AIMS in the form of a Curtin Strategic Scholarship and Top-up Scholarship.]

Effects of competition and predation operating at individual and population levels: an overview of results from a long-term field experiment.

After an overview of the discussion about the existence of intra- and interspecific competition that illustrates the contradictory opinions I conclude that long-term field experiments are needed for firm conclusions. I discuss in some detail the role of two factors that limit population size of secondary cavity nesting birds e.g. territorial behavior and adequate cavities. This is followed by an overview of experimental long-term field studies in Belgium showing that intra- and interspecific competition in a great tit-blue tit system exists. By using nestbox configurations with high densities of nestboxes that differ in the diameter of their entrance hole in replicate study plots it is possible to manipulate the breeding densities of great tit Parus major and blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus independently, thereby varying the intensity of intra- and interspecific competition between these two coexisting species. When blue tit densities are experimentally increased local recruitment of great tits increases, and adult great tit post-breeding dispersal to other study plots decreases, implying that great tits use blue tit density to evaluate habitat quality and that high blue tit density results in heterospecific attraction. The reverse is not true. An experimental increase in great tit density leading to an increase in interspecific competition in a plot where blue tit density was already high leads to a decrease in blue tit nestling mass (illustrating interspecific competition for food), but to a gradual increase in blue tit body size. Both are primarily caused by an increase in the body size of immigrants (caused by intraspecific competition for protected roosting holes) in contrast to the control plot, where neither is observed. I also summarize behavioral, ecological and possible evolutionary effects of sparrowhawks on blue tits after sparrowhawks settled in an isolated study plot halfway through the study: adult survival substantially decreased for both sexes, but more for females that laid large clutches, leading to selection for females that laid a smaller clutch. This led to a change in the reproduction/survival life-history trade-off. Adult winter weights and nestling weights decreased, and the heaviest fledglings were selected against. Furthermore the frequency of polygyny increased. The long-term experiments also document the role of the use of public information and that species that compete can be attracted to sites in which competitor density is high.

Territorial and Courtship Behaviour of Indian Common Crow Butterfly (Euploea core core)

Territorial and Courtship Behaviour of Indian Common Crow Butterfly (Euploea core core)