Summary
Status signalling in juvenile male Willow TitsParus montanus was studied by observing the outcome of interactions of birds with different size of their black throat badge, and by manipulating the size of their badge. The bird with the largest throat badge was the dominant one in all dyads studied (N=25), and the relative rank position of the males was positively correlated with the size of their badge. The badge size explained about 95% of the variation in the birds' dominance rank. When confronting juvenile males with a stuffed Willow Tit mounted close to a feeder placed in an aviary, there was found a negative correlation between the size of the badge of the males and the time from they were released till they visited the feeder. After subordinate birds from seven earlier dyads got their throat badge artificially increased, the originally dominant bird reacted submissively and tried to avoid the bird with a larger dyed badge, that temporary had increased its rank position. Our data support the status signalling hypothesis.
Zusammenfassung
Durch Beobachtung von Interaktionen zwischen jungen Männchen der Weidenmeise (Parus montanus) mit schwarzem Kehlfleck unterschiedlicher Größe und durch experimentelle Veränderung der Kehlfleckgröße wurde untersucht, ob durch den Kehlfleck der Dominanzstatus eines Vogels signalisiert wird. In allen untersuchten Paarvergleichen war der Vogel mit dem größten Kehlfleck dominant (N=25); die relative Rangposition eines Männchens war mit der Kehlfleckgröße positiv korreliert. Kehlfleckgröße erklärte 95% der Variation in der Rangstellung. Wurden junge Männchen mit einem Stopfpräparat konfrontiert, das in einem Käfig nahe der Futterstelle montiert war, ergab sich eine negative Korrelation zwischen der Kehlfleckgröße der Versuchsmännchen und dem Intervall zwischen ihrem Einsetzen in den Käfig und dem Besuch der Futterstelle. Nachdem die Kehlflecke von unterlegenen Männchen in sieben der Paarversuche künstlich vergößert worden waren, reagierte das vorher dominante Männchen unterwürfig und versuchte den Vogel mit dem durch Färbung vergrößerten Kehlfleck zu meiden, der dadurch vorübergehend seine Rangstellung verbesserte. Unsere Ergebnisse unterstützen die „status signalling“-Hypothese.
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Hogstad, O., Kroglund, R.T. The throat badge as a status signal in juvenile male willow titsParus montanus . J Ornithol 134, 413–423 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01639832
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01639832