Habitat detection, habitat choice copying or mating benefits: What drives conspecific attraction in a nomadic songbird?

ABSTRACT: Conspecific attraction during habitat selection is common among animals, but the ultimate (i.e. fitness-related) reasons for this behaviour often remain enigmatic. We aimed to evaluate the following three hypotheses for conspecific attraction during the breeding season in male Wood Warblers (Phylloscopus sibilatrix): the habitat detection hypothesis, the habitat choice copying hypothesis and the female preference hypothesis. These hypotheses make different predictions with respect to the relative importance of social and nonsocial information during habitat assessment, and whether benefits accrue as a consequence of aggregation. We tested the above hypotheses using a combination of a 2-year playback experiment, spatial statistics and mate choice models. The habitat detection hypothesis was

SUBMITTER: Luepold SB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10100052 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature