Extraterritorial forays by great tits are associated with dawn song in unexpected ways.

ABSTRACT: Conspicuous male signals often play an important role in both attracting mates and deterring rivals. In territorial species with extrapair mating, female and male forays to other territories may be an important component underlying female choice and male mating success and might be influenced by male advertisement signals. Yet, whether off-territory foraying is associated with male signals is still not well understood. Here, we tested how female and male forays are associated with short-range visual and long-range acoustic signals (dawn song). We used an automated radio tracking system to follow the movements of wild great tits (Parus major) to other territories in relation to male dawn song, plumage ornaments, and extrapair paternity. We show that both sexes frequently forayed into

SUBMITTER: Bircher N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7390995 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul-Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature