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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 108(2)

Splendid songs: the vocal behaviour of Splendid Fairy-wrens (Malurus splendens melanotus)

Emma Greig A C and Stephen Pruett-Jones A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, 1101 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.

B Email: pruett-jones@uchicago.edu

C Corresponding author. Email: blufinch@uchicago.edu

Emu 108(2) 103-114 https://doi.org/10.1071/MU07044
Submitted: 31 July 2007  Accepted: 14 February 2008   Published: 1 May 2008

Abstract

Here we describe the vocal repertoire of a population of Splendid Fairy-wrens (Malurus splendens melanotus) in South Australia. During 2005 and 2006 we identified 14 different vocalisations. The primary vocalisation, Type I song, was given by both males and females throughout the breeding season and appeared to function in territorial defence. Type I song was structurally similar between the sexes, although males sang a more complex version of the song with greater note-versatility (number of note types divided by total number of notes). The rate of female singing did not differ between breeding stages, but the rate of male singing was higher in the early breeding stages than in the later breeding stages. The second major vocalisation, Type II call, was given almost exclusively by males. Type II calls were generally given in response to avian predators, but males also appended Type II calls to the primary song. Additionally, Type II calls featured prominently in the dawn chorus, and the structure of these calls varied significantly between males. We discuss hypotheses for the function of Type I songs and Type II calls and describe the structure of 12 other vocalisations, using contextual information to infer their function.


Acknowledgements

We thank John Bates, Emily Kay, Bryce Masuda, Jill Mateo, Caroline Novak, Karan Odom, Melissah Rowe, Alex Smith, and Tim Wootton for valuable comments on this manuscript or assistance in the field, or both. Carolyn Johnson, Jill Mateo and Trevor Price generously loaned equipment for field work. All work was undertaken with approval from the University of Chicago Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUP number 71708) and the Government of South Australia Department of Environment and Heritage (Wildlife Ethics Committee approval number 21/2006, Scientific Reseach Permit number C25249 and animal use licence number 187).


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