Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Female conspecifics restore rhythmic singing behaviour in arrhythmic male zebra finches

  • Published:
Journal of Biosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study investigated whether pairing with a conspecific female would restore rhythmicity in the singing behaviour of arrhythmic male songbirds. We recorded the singing and, as the circadian response indicator, monitored the activity–rest pattern in male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) housed without or with a conspecific female under 12 h light: 12 h darkness (12L:12D) or constant bright light (LLbright). Both unpaired and paired birds exhibited a significant daily rhythm in the singing and activity behaviour, but paired birds, under 12L:12D, showed a ~2 h extension in the evening. Exposure to LLbright decayed rhythmicity, but the female presence restored rhythmic patterns without affecting the 24 h song output. In the acoustic features, we found a significant difference in the motif duration between unpaired and paired male songs. Overall, these results demonstrated for the first time the role of the female in restoring the circadian phenotype of singing behaviour in male songbirds with disrupted circadian functions, although how interaction between sexes affects the circadian timing of male singing is not understood yet. It is suggested that social cues rendered by a conspecific female could improve the circadian performance by restoring rhythmicity in the biological functions of the cohabiting arrhythmic male partner.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aronov D and Fee MS 2012 Natural changes in brain temperature underlie variations in song tempo during a mating behavior. PLoS One 7 e47856

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Aschoff J 1981 Handbook of behavioural neurobiology; in Biological rhythms, Vol. 4 (ed) J Aschoff (New York: Plenum Publishing Corporation)

  • Atagan Y and Forstmeier W 2012 Protein supplementation decreases courtiship rate in the zebra finch. Anim. Behav. 83 69–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bayne EM and Hobson KA 1997 Temporal pattern of predation on artificial nest in the southern boreal forest. J. Wildl. Manag. 61 1227–1234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bottjer SW, Glaessner SL and Arnold AP 1985 Ontogeny of brain nuclei controlling song learning and behavioir in zebra finches. J. Neurosci. 5 1556–1562

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Caryl PG 1981 The relationship between the motivation of directed and undirected song in the zebra finch. Z. Tierpsychol. 57 37–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cassone VM, Bartell PA, Earnest BJ and Kumar V 2008 Duration of melatonin regulates seasonal changes in song control nuclei of the house sparrow, Passer domesticus: independence from gonads and circadian entrainment. J. Biol. Rhythm. 23 49–58

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chi Z and Margoliash D 2001 Temporal precision and temporal drift in brain and behavior of zebra finch song. Neuron 32 899–910

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Crowley M and Bovet J 1980 Social synchronization of circadian rhythms in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 7 99–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuthill I and Hindmarsh A 1985 Increase in starling song activity with removal of mate. Anim. Behav. 33 326–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daan S and Aschoff J 1975 Circadian rhythms of locomotor activity in captive birds and mammals: their variations with season and latitude. Oecologia 18 69–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derégnaucourt S, Saar S and Gahr M 2012 Melatonin affects the temporal pattern of vocal signatures in birds. J. Pineal Res. 53 245–258

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn AM and Zann RA 1996 Undirected song in wild zebra finch flocks: contexts and effects of mate removal. Ethology 102 529–539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn AM and Zann RA 1997 Effects of pair bond and presence of conspecifics on singing in captive zebra finches. Behaviour 134 127–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Favreau A, Richard-Yris MA, Bertin A, Houdelier C and Lumineau S 2009 Social influences on circadian behavioural rhythms in vertebrates. Anim. Behav. 77 983–989

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gautier P, Barroca M, Bertrand S, Eraud C, Gaillard M, Hamman M, Motreuil S, Sorci G, et al. 2008 The presence of females modulates the expression of a carotenoid-based sexual signal. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 62 1159–1166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goel N and Lee TM 1995 Social cues accelerate reentrainment of circadian rhythms in diurnal female Octodon degus (Rodentia-Octodontidae). Chronobiol. Int. 12 311–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hennin HL, Barker NK, Bradley DW and Mennill DJ 2009 Bachelor and paired male rufous-and-white wrens use different singing strategies. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 64 151–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holveck MJ and Riebel K 2007 Preferred songs predict preferred males: consistency and repeatability of zebra finch females across three test contexts. Anim. Behav. 74 297–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jesse F and Riebel K 2012 Social facilitation of male song by male and female conspecifics in the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata. Behav. Process 91 262–266

  • Jullien M and Clobert J 2000 The survival value of flocking in neotropical birds: reality or fiction? Ecology. 81 3416–3430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kavaliers M 1980 Social groupings and circadian activity of the killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus. Biol. Bull. 158 69–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korslund L 2006 Activity of root voles (Microtus oeconomus) under snow: social encounters synchronize individual activity rhythms. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 61 255–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krebs JR, Avery M and Cowie RJ 1981 Effect of removal of mate on the singing behaviour of great tits. Anim. Behav. 29 635–637

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar V, Singh BP and Rani S 2004 The bird clock: a complex, multi-oscillatory and highly diversified system. Biol. Rhythm. Res. 35 121–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levine JD, Funes P, Dowse HB and Hall JC 2002 Resetting the circadian clock by social experience in Drosophila melanogaster. Science 298 2010–2012

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liker A and Bókony V 2009 Larger groups are more successful in innovative problem solving in house sparrows. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106 7893–7898

  • Malik S, Rani S and Kumar V 2004 Wavelength dependency of light-induced effects on photoperiodic clock in the migratory blackheaded bunting (Emberiza melanocephala). Chronobiol. Int. 21 367–384

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marimuthu G, Rajan S and Chandrashekaran M 1981 Social entrainment of the circadian rhythm in the flight activity of the microchiropteran bat Hipposideros speoris. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 8 147–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McMillan JP, Elliott JA and Menaker M 1975 On the role of eyes and brain photoreceptors in the sparrow: Arrhythmicity in constant light. J. Comp. Physiol. A 102 263–268

  • Menaker M and Eskin A 1966 Entrainment of circadian rhythms by sound in Passer domesticus. Science 154 1579–1581

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mistlberger RE and Skene DJ 2004 Social influences on mammalian circadian rhythms: animal and human studies. Biol. Rev. 79 533–556

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mrosovsky N 1988 Phase response curves for social entrainment. J. Comp. Physiol. A 162 35–46

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nottebohm F, Alvarez-Buylla A, Cynx J, Kirn J, Ling CY, Nottebohm M, Suter R, Tolles A, et al. 1990 Song learning in birds: the relation between perception and production. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B 329 115–124

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nowicki S and Searcy WA 2004 Song function and the evolution of female preferences: why birds sing, why brains matter. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 1016 704–723

  • Potvin CL and Bovet J 1975 Annual cycle of patterns of activity rhythms in beaver colonies (Castor canadensis). J. Comp. Physiol. 98 243–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riebel K 2009 Song and female mate choice in zebra finches: a review. Adv. Study Behav. 40 197–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roth T, Sprau P, Schmidt R, Naguib M and Amrhein V 2009 Sex-specific timing of mate searching and territory prospecting in the nightingale: nocturnal life of females. Proc. R. Soc. B 276 2045–2050

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Saar S and Mitra PP 2008 A technique for characterizing the development of rhythms in bird song. PLoS One 3 e1461–e1461

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Singh J, Rani S and Kumar V 2010 Presence of a conspecific renders survival advantages in the migratory redheaded bunting: test through the effects of restricted feeding on circadian response and survivorship. Chronobiol. Int. 27 111–127

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Surbhi KY, Rani S, Tsutsui K and Kumar V 2015 Duration of melatonin regulates seasonal plasticity in subtropical Indian weaver bird, Ploceus philippinus. Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 220 46–54

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang G, Harpole CE, Trivedi AK and Cassone VM 2012 Circadian regulation of bird song, call, and locomotor behavior by pineal melatonin in the zebra finch. J. Biol. Rhythm. 27 145–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams H 2004 Birdsong and singing behavior. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 1016 1–30

  • Williams H and Mehta N 1999 Changes in adult zebra finch song require a forebrain nucleus that is not necessary for song production. J. Neurobiol. 39 14–28

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zann RA (1996) The zebra finch: a synthesis of field and laboratory studies. Vol. 5 (Oxford University Press)

Download references

Acknowledgements

Delhi University R&D and DST-DU PURSE grants supported this research. NAJ received a Senior Research Fellowship from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. The facility used for research was built under the support from IRHPA Center for Excellence Research Grant from the Department of Science and Technology (Science and Engineering Research Board).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indo-US Joint Center for Biological Timing, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110 007, India

    Neelu Anand Jha & Vinod Kumar

Authors
  1. Neelu Anand Jha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vinod Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vinod Kumar.

Additional information

[Jha NA and Kumar V 2017 Female conspecifics restore rhythmic singing behaviour in arrhythmic male zebra finches. J. Biosci.]

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jha, N.A., Kumar, V. Female conspecifics restore rhythmic singing behaviour in arrhythmic male zebra finches. J Biosci 42, 139–147 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-017-9664-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-017-9664-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation