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BMC Ecology  2011 

The effect of hunger on the acoustic individuality in begging calls of a colonially breeding weaver bird

DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-11-3

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Abstract:

In a field study, we experimentally manipulated the hunger level of colonially breeding Jackson's golden-backed weaver (Ploceus jacksoni) nestlings close to fledging and investigated its effects on acoustic call parameters. Some acoustic parameters that were related to the time-frequency pattern showed high individuality and were largely unaffected by a nestling's state of hunger. However, the majority of call parameters were significantly affected by hunger. Interestingly, most of these acoustic parameters showed both consistent changes with hunger and high between-individual differences, i.e. potential for individual recognition.The results indicate that individual recognition processes can be based on static, hunger-independent call parameters, but also on dynamic hunger-related parameters that show high individuality. Furthermore, these signal properties suggest that the assessment of signals of need can be improved if the signal value is referenced to a chick's vocal spectrum.Acoustic signalling in birds is a popular system in which to ask questions about the evolution of identity signalling systems and the costs and benefits of reliably communicating a sender's condition. These two different kinds of signals (i.e. identity and condition) require very different trait properties. Signals of identity need to be relatively consistent over time within individuals to reliably indicate the senders identity [for review see [1]]. In contrast, condition signals, indicating short term changes in condition (e.g. hunger in food-dependent young), need to be plastic within an individual to reliably reflect the different conditions of a sender [e.g. [2,3]]. Both types of signals have been studied separately in parent-offspring communication. However, these two signals occur simultaneously in begging calls of young birds and the question arises: how can one acoustic signal manifest the need for simultaneous high and low intra-individual variation? So far, no study has investig

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