Journal of Ornithology

, 148:179 | Cite as

Territorial responses of male blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, to UV-manipulated neighbours

  • Angelika Poesel
  • Torben Dabelsteen
  • Safi-Kirstine Darden
  • Kaspar Delhey
  • Anne Peters
Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

Multiple phenotypic traits can affect the outcome of interactions among territorial animals. Individuals may use current and previously acquired information on phenotypic traits to assess the competitive ability of opponents and adjust the strength of their response depending on the threat the opponent poses. In birds, colourful plumage and song are widespread phenotypic traits. Recent work has shown that ultraviolet (UV) plumage reflectance may be used by males in assessing an opponent’s strength and by females in mate choice. In the present study, we investigated whether and how territorial male blue tits, Cyanistes caeruleus, use previously acquired information from UV reflectance of the crown feathers of neighbours to adjust their response to playback of song of these neighbours simulated to intrude their territory. We compared responses to neighbours with those to unfamiliar strangers with unknown plumage features. We found that subject males with UV-enhanced neighbours responded more strongly to these neighbours than to strangers, i.e. showed more flights, used songs without trill and tended to overlap more songs. Subject males with UV-reduced neighbours gave a lower or similar response to neighbours compared to strangers. This indicates that male blue tits combine previously acquired information about an intruder’s plumage with familiarity of its song, and that their response depends on the perceived quality of the neighbour. This study provides evidence that familiarity in combination with multiple signals of quality may influence territorial relations among neighbours.

Keywords

Cyanistes caeruleus Intra-sexual signal Playback intrusion Structural plumage colouration 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

We thank Agnes Tuerk and Mihai Valcu for assistance in the field, Hans Winkler and Dustin Penn from Konrad Lorenz Institute for Comparative Ethology in Vienna for continuous support during this study, and Raphael-Thomas Klumpp and Alfred Fojt from the institute of Silviculture in Vienna for providing access to their facilities in the study area. We thank Bart Kempenaers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen for his comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. This study was supported by the Danish National Science Foundation and the Centre for Sound Communication at the University of Copenhagen (funding to T.D. and A. Poesel), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (fellowship to A. Peters) and the Max Planck Society. This research adhered to the guidelines of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour and complies with laws in Austria and Denmark.

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Copyright information

© Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V. 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  • Angelika Poesel
    • 1
    • 2
  • Torben Dabelsteen
    • 1
  • Safi-Kirstine Darden
    • 1
  • Kaspar Delhey
    • 3
  • Anne Peters
    • 3
  1. 1.Animal Behaviour Group, Biological InstituteCopenhagenDenmark
  2. 2.Borror Laboratory of BioacousticsThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusUSA
  3. 3.Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Vogelwarte RadolfzellRadolfzellGermany

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