Reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) vocalizations: individual and geographic variation of songs from 1982 to 1997 [in Belgium, 2 sites and in the Netherlands, 1 site] | Vocalisations du bruant des roseaux (Emberiza schoeniclus): evolution des caracteristiques individuelles et regionales du chant (1982-1997)
1999
Keulen, C. | Praxaysombath, B. | Ruwet, J.C. (Universite de Liege (Belgium). Lab. d'ethologie et de psychologie animale)
Individual and geographic variations are often present in Emberizidae songs in European as in American species. A few studies have shown some individual recognition in Reed Bunting song. Gailly for example, has studied the songs of Reed Buntings which are territorial in some Belgian or Dutch sites. His work pointed out the basis for an individual recognition and he supposed that a dialectal system existed in this species. The present study concerns a comparison of the repertories of Reed Buntings which were territorial in the 80s with those of birds territorial on the same sites more than ten years later. So we have recorded and analysed the songs of 84 Reed Buntings on three different sites and that at two different periods. The results show that Reed Bunting songs begin every time by the same note, called first note. The second note is also relatively constant over years but less than the first one. Our study has shown an important inter-individual variability in the production of this first note in the different recorded males as well as an intra-individual male variability but this one is less pronounced. The variability between the recorded males should allow an individual recognition. The birds producing a same variant tend to gather in a same area. This situation is favoured in sites offering a habitat mosaic with arboreal barriers in between. When these barriers disappear, the mixing of small population groups seems possible. Our study also shows the stability of the songs repertories concerning this first note in a same area over fifteen or thirteen years. This paper should be followed by new investigation on such topics as: genetic analyses, play-back experiments.
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