Female signalling to male song in the domestic canary, Serinus canaria.

ABSTRACT: Most studies on sexual selection focus on male characteristics such as male song in songbirds. Yet female vocalizations in songbirds are growing in interest among behavioural and evolutionary biologists because these vocalizations can reveal the female's preferences for male traits and may affect male display. This study was designed to test whether male song performance influences the different female signals in the domestic canary (Serinus canaria). Female canaries were exposed to three types of song performance, differing in the repetition rate of sexy syllables. This experiment demonstrates that female birds are engaged in multimodal communication during sexual interaction. The results support the copulation solicitation hypothesis for female-specific trills: these trills were positive

SUBMITTER: Amy M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4448791 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature