Territory Acquisition Research Articles

Floater behaviour and territory acquisition in male purple martins

The behaviour of non-territorial male purple martins, Progne subis, was monitored while they were present as ‘floaters’ in a colony. Most floaters (22 of 24) did not intrude on all territories under observation with equal frequency: a large proportion of their intrusions occurred at only three to five territories. The bias in intrusion frequency on certain territories was not explained by the size of the territory (number of cavities), age of the owner (adult versus subadult male), or the nesting stage of the owner. Males required an average of 8 days (range 2–29 days) to acquire a territory. The behaviour of individual floaters (intrusion rate, frequency of challenge to owner, median duration of intrusions) was not significantly correlated with their tenure in the floating population. Both adult and subadult males acquired territories primarily by gaining control over some of the cavities defended by other males, rather than through eviction or filling vancancies. The behaviour of floaters appears to represent an asymmetric ‘war of attrition’ where persistence at a territory can pay off even though floaters almost always lose individual fights with owners.

Androgen control of social status in males of a wild population of stoplight parrotfish, Sparisoma viride (Scaridae)

In the protogynous stoplight parrotfish ( Sparisoma viride), large males defend territories that encompass the home-ranges of several mature females. However, high-quality habitat is in short supply, such that smaller, competitively inferior males do not defend territories. We investigated the role of 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) and testosterone (T) in the regulation of territorial behavior in a wild population of a protogynous reef fish, the stoplight parrotfish, at Glover's Reef, Belize. Radioimmunoassay of plasma samples from individuals of known social status revealed that nonterritorial males have lower levels of T and 11KT than territorial males. Nonterritorial males allowed access to vacant territories underwent pronounced increases in T and 11KT. When sampled 1 week after territory acquisition, levels of T and 11KT in new territorial males were significantly higher than the levels in established territorial males, but by 3 weeks after territory acquisition, there was no significant difference. We further investigated the hypothesis that such short-term increases in androgen levels are a response to intense male-male interactions during territory establishment. Simulated territorial intrusion promoted increased plasma levels of both T and 11KT while access to vacant territories without neighboring territorial males did not. These findings suggest that the endocrine system plays a role in fine-tuning the levels of territorial aggression exhibited by male stoplight parrotfish. We discuss these results in light of recent theory in behavioral endocrinology.

BEHAVIOUR ASSOCIATED WITH BREEDING OF CROWNED, BLACKWINGED AND LESSER BLACKWINGED PLOVERS

Summary Ward, D. 1989. Behaviour associated with breeding of Crowned, Blackwinged and Lesser Blackwinged Plovers. Ostrich 60: 141–150. The behaviour of Crowned Plovers Vanellus coronatus, Blackwinged Plovers V. melanopterus and Lesser Blackwinged Plovers V. lugubris in mate and territory acquisition and defence was documented and related to the habitats these birds occupy. The open habitat occupied by vanelline plovers makes them particularly vulnerable to predation and as a result, they have a highly-developed ability to detect potential predators and have developed a number of behavioural strategies to avoid predation. This has resulted in these birds having a higher reproductive success than that documented for other precocial birds.

Function of song in Scott's seaside sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus peninsulae

The function of song in a Florida population of Scott's seaside sparrows was experimentally investigated during the breeding seasons of 1983–1984 by temporarily muting male birds in the field. Birds were muted by rupturing the interclavicular air sac. They remained songless for about 2 weeks but could give all of their normal calls during this time. Two rounds of mutings were administered, each preceded and followed by time budget, playback and other observations on three treatment groups: muted, shamoperated and undisturbed birds. The early muting round tested for mate and territory acquisition. These muted birds remained mateless until they regained their voices; most attracted a female after voice recovery. The early muted birds also acquired territories later than sham-operated and undisturbed birds. The mid-season muting round tested for mate and territory retention, and for changes in behaviour. All muted birds lost their mates; a few attracted new mates when they regained singing ability. Their territories either shrank or were lost, but new territories were established (or the original re-expanded) after voice recovery. The intensity of most close-range aggressive behaviour was significantly greater for muted birds than for sham-operated and undisturbed birds. There were no discernible differences between sham-operated and undisturbed birds for any attributes measured.

Habitat-Specific Growth and Fitness in Carrion Crows (Corvus corone corone)

SUMMARY (1) The relationship between habitat, chick growth, fledging size and fitness of breeders was studied in two populations of carrion crows, Corvus corone corone L., one living in an urban and another in an agricultural environment in south-western Switzerland. The logistic equation was used to model weight gain and tarsus growth, and the growth constant (k) and the asymptote (a) computed, using an iterative least square fitting technique. The chicks in the two habitats are compared with respect to the parameters a and k of the logistic equation. The Darwinian fitness is evaluated for each habitat. (2) Chicks in the urban habitat gain weight slower, take longer to reach fledging weight and are significantly lighter at fledging than the chicks in the agricultural habitat. Thus, for the weight curves, the chicks in the urban habitat show significantly lower values for both parameters a and k. (3) Tarsus growth is slower for chicks in the urban habitat, but in contrast to weight gain, growth of tarsus is not prolonged. For tarsus growth the parameter k is identical in the two habitats, but urban chicks show significantly lower values for the parameter a. Tarsus length is fixed by the age of fledging. Chicks in the urban habitat have shorter tarsi at fledging. (4) Growth of wing is slower in the urban habitat, but, since wing length is incomplete at fledging, no curves were fitted. (5) Tarsus length of territory-holding adults was measured in both habitats and a critical minimum size for territory acquisition empirically established. Of all fledglings raised in the urban habitat, 79% fall below this critical size and will therefore be unable to acquire a territory and thus be excluded from breeding, whereas only 24% of fledglings raised in the agricultural habitat will be excluded. (6) Successful parents in the agricultural habitat fledge, on average, 2-7 chicks per year, parents in the urban habitat 1 5 chicks only. 36% of all territory holders in the agricultural habitat fledge young, 39% in the urban habitat. Since a much higher percentage of fledged chicks reach the critical body size in the agricultural habitat, these parents reach a Darwinian fitness five times higher than the parents in the urban habitat.

Inhibition of infanticide in male house mice (Mus domesticus): is kin recognition involved?

The great majority of adult Swiss albino males exhibit infanticide when sexually naive, but after mating and cohabitation with females they show paternal or amicable behaviour towards pups. A preliminary experiment was designed to see whether kin recognition mechanisms might also be involved in the inhibition of infanticide. To this purpose, previously selected infaticidal males which underwent a sequential experience of territory acquisition, mating and cohabitation with females during pregnancy but were separated from the female before parturition (18–19 days) were confronted with their own or unrelated infants in the presence or absence of familiar females and inside or outside their marked area (territory). In all cases infanticide never occurred. These data cast strong doubts on a direct (i.e. genetic or «mother labelling») kin discrimination of young by males. It is important to note that even the location where the male met pups did not change the behaviour towards related or unrelated infants. The social organization of this species consists of a reproductive territory in which the majority of litters are sired by the territorial holder dominant male. It seems that selection has operated to inhibit infant killing, through sexual interaction with females, at times when there is a strong probability that a male will face its own preweanling pups. In terms of ultimate causes this behaviour results in kin selection (i.e. favouring the survival of related infants) without necessarily involve kin discrimination processes. On the basis of present findings a general criticism of the use of the indirect kin recognition term is discussed.

Nest-Site Selection of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) in Salt Marshes

Nest-Site Selection of American Oystercatchers (Haematopus palliatus) in Salt Marshes

Repertoire size, territory acquisition and reproductive success in the song sparrow

Song repertoire size, time to first territory acquisition, territory size, territory tenure and lifetime reproductive success were measured in males of known age in a wild, resident population of song sparrows, Melospiza melodia. One-year-old males had smaller repertoires than older males, but this apparent change in repertoire size was due to attrition of individuals with small repertoires rather than to an increase in the repertoire size of individuals with age. Males with large repertoires held territories longer and had greater annual and lifetime reproductive success than males with small repertoires. Half-hour repertoire size, which may represent an ecologically more relevant measure of repertoire size perceived by a transient listener, was also positively related to territory tenure and annual reproductive success. Thus listeners might be able to assess a singing male's competitive ability without sampling the entire repertoire.

Territory acquisition and loss in male song sparrows

Male song sparrows, Melospiza melodia, contested for territories year-round in a non-migratory population. Over 5 years, most settlers were yearlings, but many were older floaters that had previously owned a territory. Most turnovers occurred when floaters evicted territory owners from all or part of their territories. This finding contrasts with the assumptions of most models of dispersal and habitat settlement, i.e. that owners are always dominant to floaters, and that floaters gain territories only after an owner's death. Territory owners often evicted neighbours in the breeding period, when they were also likely to gain access to additional females. Floaters usually gained territories just prior to breeding and as breeding began. These patterns are consistent with the idea that male territory defence primarily serves to provide access to females. Middle-aged males more often expanded their territories and regained them after being evicted than 1- or 4-year-old males. Birds that floated as yearlings were more likely to float after owning a territory as an adult than were birds that gained a territory before April of their first breeding season. Individual differences in competitive ability persist throughout life, but vary with age. Factors that affect patterns of aggressive versus passive territory acquisition between populations include: migratory tendency, habitat saturation, length of the breeding period, the potential to breed outside the natal population, the relative survival rates of territory owners versus floaters, and the mortality rate of territory owners in the absence of challenges by floaters. An understanding of the territorial system is crucial to predicting patterns of dispersal and habitat distribution.

Winter Survival and Territory Acquisition in a Northern Population of Black-Capped Chickadees

Abstract We assessed the effects of winter food supplementation on differential survival between sex, age and dominance classes, and the effects of feeding and territorial defense on breeding density in a northern population of Black-capped Chickadees (Parus atricapillus). Survival rates were higher in a food-supplemented area than in a control area, which suggests that food abundance limited winter survival. Survival was greater among males than lower-ranking females in 1 of 2 years, and greater in dominants than in subordinates, within sex and age classes. Survival of adults and first-year birds, however, did not differ significantly. In the 2 years of this study, a sharp decline of population size occurred at the onset of territoriality in spring. Birds that disappeared in spring were mainly subordinates of each sex. Breeding densities in control and feeder areas were similar in the two years. Eight of 14 territorial birds removed in 2 years were replaced, implying that a nonbreeding surplus was present in early spring.

The effect of familiarity with a neighborhood on territory acquisition

Several authors have suggested that familiarity with the neighborhood around a territory might improve the ability of contestants to compete successfully for that territory. In this study, juvenile Anolis aeneus lizards residing in clearings were allowed to observe, but not enter, artificial homesites for 9 to 12 days. Then the homesites were made accessible to both previous residents and new arrivals to the clearing. The settlement success of new arrivals onto the homesites was dramatically lower than that of comparably-sized previous residents. For both new arrivals and previous residents, the period from first entry to first received attack was an excellent predictor of settlement success, but whereas most previous residents spent many hours on the homesites prior to being attacked by other juveniles, almost all new arrivals were, attacked soon after entering the homesites. Many new arrivals made tactical errors (e.g. joined larger lizards already on the homesites, and then were promptly chased), whereas previous residents almost never joined lizards larger than themselves. In addition, new arrivals which were alone on the homesites were more quickly attacked by neighboring individuals than were previous residents under comparable circumstances. These results suggest that information about a territorial habitat and its inhabitants is an important determinant of territory acquisition success in this species.

Reproductive success and survivorship of the Galapagos Hawk Buteo galapagoensis: potential costs and benefits of cooperative polyandry

The Galapagos Hawk Buteo galapagoensis is one of few species showing cooperative polyandry. As many as four males may mate with one female and share a territory and nest, Such groups, on average, produce more young than monogamous pairs, but on a per male basis (assuming that each male of a group has an equal chance to fertilize each young) polyandrous males produce fewer young per year than monogamous males. Territorial breeding birds show higher yearly survivorship (90%) than non‐territorial, non‐breeding birds (50% or less). All territorial birds seem to remain on their territories for life, and monogamous pairs actually constitute the remnants of polyandrous groups. Some potential factors producing such an unusual system are discussed. Limited breeding space and high mortality among non‐territorial birds seem to work in favour of group breeding in this and other cooperative species. Polyandry may be favoured because of the reduced value of extra females in hawk breeding behaviour. Equal‐status males may occur because of the lack of kinship among cooperating males and the high potential genetic cost of being a helper in a long‐lived, low fecundity species. Other possible factors favouring group breeding are territory acquisition and the variable nature of the Galapagos climate.

Site Fidelity and Habitat Quality as Determinants of Settlement Pattern in Male Painted Buntings

The spatial distribution of high and low quality Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) territories on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, was determined through an examination of the distribution of food resources and polygynous pairings in 1976 and 1977. Based on the distribution of high and low quality territories, we predicted the pattern of territory settlement by males at the start of the breeding season. As predicted, males settled significantly earlier on high quality than on low quality territories in 1978 and 1979. However, not all males that initially acquired high quality territories were able to maintain them long enough to breed on them. Most of these males, which were subsequently displaced by returning site-faithful males, were settling for the first time on the study area, although some were returning males that had held low quality territories the previous year. New breeders and some returners initially settled in a pattern consistent with predictions based on territory quality; most returning males settled on the basis of site fidelity. Thus, the final settlement pattern was the result of an interaction between preference for areas of high quality and the return and site faithfulness of previous territory holders. The implications of this pattern of territory acquisition for the evolution of delayed maturation in males are discussed.

Ceremonial Gatherings of the Magpie Pica Pica: Territory Probing and Acquisition

During a seven year study of magpie social organisation we collected data to examine the idea that 'ceremonial gatherings' were associated with territory acquisition. Gatherings were initiated by high ranking, non-territorial birds, mainly in the three months prior to the breeding season. Most gatherings resulted in initiators being evicted, but in some cases they obtained a territory, either by displacing the owners, or by repeatedly visiting the same area and establishing a territory of their own, usually on territory boundaries where resistance from established birds was least. About 30% of territories were acquired via gatherings. The various ways in which other long-term territorial species acquire territories are discussed.

Morphology and territory acquisition in willow ptarmigan

Indices of body size, condition, and reproductive status were compared among willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus alexandrae Grinnell) yearlings that held territories and those that replaced them in response to an experimental removal. We wished to determine whether these morphological factors had influenced the acquisition and retention of territories by residents. There was no difference in body size between residents and replacements in either sex, nor was there a difference in comb height, a correlate of hormonal status and aggression. Early replacements were in a condition similar to residents in females, but in poorer condition in males. There was a marked loss in condition in later replacements but this was more likely a consequence of nonterritoriality than a reason for it. We suggest that other factors such as prior familiarity with the breeding area or arriving before others may influence successful territorial establishment.

Competitive Collusion: The Preemption of Competition During the Sequential Establishment of Territories

Previous articleNext article No AccessNotes and CommentsCompetitive Collusion: The Preemption of Competition During the Sequential Establishment of TerritoriesThomas GettyThomas Getty Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The American Naturalist Volume 118, Number 3Sep., 1981 Published for The American Society of Naturalists Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/283834 Views: 9Total views on this site Citations: 27Citations are reported from Crossref Copyright 1981 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Tilman Hartley, Baogui Xin The continuing evolution of ownership, PLOS ONE 14, no.22 (Feb 2019): e0211871.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211871Martin Hinsch, Jan Komdeur What do territory owners defend against?, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284, no.18491849 (Feb 2017): 20162356.https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2356Árni Einarsson Viking Age Fences and Early Settlement Dynamics in Iceland, Journal of the North Atlantic 12, no.2727 (Apr 2015): 1–21.https://doi.org/10.3721/037.006.2703Mike Mesterton-Gibbons, Tom N. Sherratt Neighbor intervention: A game-theoretic model, Journal of Theoretical Biology 256, no.22 (Jan 2009): 263–275.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2008.10.004Martin Hromada, Marcin Antczak, Thomas J. Valone, Piotr Tryjanowski, Frederick R. Adler Settling Decisions and Heterospecific Social Information Use in Shrikes, PLoS ONE 3, no.1212 (Dec 2008): e3930.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0003930 Debora Arlt and Tomas Pärt Sex‐Biased Dispersal: A Result of a Sex Difference in Breeding Site Availability. D. Arlt and T. Pärt, The American Naturalist 171, no.66 (Jul 2015): 844–850.https://doi.org/10.1086/587521Debora Arlt, Tomas Pärt NONIDEAL BREEDING HABITAT SELECTION: A MISMATCH BETWEEN PREFERENCE AND FITNESS, Ecology 88, no.33 (Mar 2007): 792–801.https://doi.org/10.1890/06-0574Alexander M. Mills, James D. Rising, Donald A. Jackson Conspecific attraction during establishment of Least Flycatcher clusters, Journal of Field Ornithology 77, no.11 (Mar 2006): 34–38.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1557-9263.2006.00009.xScott A. Tarof, Laurene M. Ratcliffe, Michael M. Kasumovic, Peter T. Boag Are least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) clusters hidden leks?, Behavioral Ecology 16, no.11 (Aug 2004): 207–217.https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arh155John K. Leiser, Murray Itzkowitz Changing tactics: dominance, territoriality, and the responses of “primary” males to competition from conditional breeders in the variegated pupfish (Cyprinodon variegatus), Behavioural Processes 66, no.22 (May 2004): 119–130.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2004.01.008Scott A. Tarof, Laurene M. Ratcliffe, T. C. Grubb Jr. , The Auk 121, no.33 ( 2004): 877.https://doi.org/10.1093/auk/121.3.877John K. Leiser When are neighbours ‘dear enemies’ and when are they not? 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Holmes SITE-DEPENDENT REGULATION OF POPULATION SIZE:A NEW SYNTHESIS, Ecology 78, no.77 (Oct 1997): 2025–2042.https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(1997)078[2025:SDROPS]2.0.CO;2William J. Hamilton, John W. McNutt Determinants of Conflict Outcomes, (Jan 1997): 179–224.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1745-4_7J.A. Stamps, V.V. Krishnan Territory acquisition in lizards: III. Competing for space, Animal Behaviour 49, no.33 (Mar 1995): 679–693.https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-3472(95)80201-0Judy Stamps Territorial Behavior: Testing the Assumptions, (Jan 1994): 173–232.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-3454(08)60354-XDave Shutler, Patrick J. Weatherhead Surplus territory contenders in male red-winged blackbirds: where are the desperados?, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 31, no.22 (Aug 1992): 97–106.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00166342 REFERENCES, (Jan 1991): 637–724.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-092551-6.50026-X Judy A. Stamps , and V. V. 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Sexual Differences in Parental Activities of Breeding Black Skimmers

Sexual Differences in Parental Activities of Breeding Black Skimmers