Nightingales in space: song and extra-territorial forays of radio tagged song birds

Citation
M. Naguib et al., Nightingales in space: song and extra-territorial forays of radio tagged song birds, J ORNITHOL, 142(3), 2001, pp. 306-312
Citations number
28
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Animal Sciences
Journal title
JOURNAL FUR ORNITHOLOGIE
ISSN journal
0021-8375 → ACNP
Volume
142
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
306 - 312
Database
ISI
SICI code
0021-8375(200107)142:3<306:NISSAE>2.0.ZU;2-Z
Abstract
Most temperate zone passerines defend territories during the breeding seaso n. Commonly the size of these territories is estimated by plotting the sing ing locations of the males. However, an individual's activities need not be restricted to the area used for singing. So far, only little quantitative information has been available to determine how the singing territory relat es to the activity range of male songbirds. Here, we present a study in whi ch we used radio-tracking techniques to collect quantitative data on the sp atial behaviour of 11 male territorial Nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos) . The results show that the singing territories made up only about 50 % of the activity ranges. Nevertheless, males spent over 90 % of the time within the singing territory. Singing territories almost never overlapped but act ivity ranges overlapped in all cases with the activity range of at least on e neighbour. Males intruded into neighbouring territories throughout the se ason but the longest excursions were made before and during the female fert ile period. The time spent for forays correlated significantly with song ra te and territories of males with higher song rates in turn were less freque ntly the object of forays by other males. Song rate can be indicative of ma le quality, so that our findings strongly suggest that foray behaviour is r elated to male quality in nightingales.