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Solos, duets and choruses: vocal behaviour of the Rufous-naped Wren (Campylorhynchus rufinucha), a cooperatively breeding neotropical songbird

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Abstract

Vocal communication in duetting and chorusing birds is a growing area of study in avian ecology, yet much remains unknown about temporal and population-level variation in these complex vocal signals. In this study, we describe the acoustic structure and temporal variation in solos, duets, and choruses in the Rufous-naped Wren (Campylorhynchus rufinucha), a cooperatively breeding neotropical passerine. We collected focal recordings of 19 groups to assess both diel and seasonal variation in vocal output, as well as population-wide sharing of vocal signals. We found that birds produce a complex array of vocalisations, including tonal, frequency-modulated syllables grouped into phrases, as well as stereotyped, atonal sounds. Songs are produced as solos or combined into duets and choruses. Solo and duet songs show a dawn chorus effect. Solo song rate, but not duet or chorus rate, varied across breeding stages. The majority of phrases are shared amongst groups, significantly more amongst groups in nearby territories. We suggest that chorus songs may be an important indicator of group identity and may play a role in maintaining group territories, but do not play a role in relation to the breeding cycle. The degree of population-wide phrase-sharing suggests either short-distance dispersal or delayed song learning. This paper is the first fine-scale description of vocal behaviour in this species and enhances our understanding of group-singing in a complex social environment.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the staff of sector Santa Rosa of the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica for logistical support, particularly R. Blanco and M.M. Chavarria. For useful comments on the manuscript we thank N. Mann and an anonymous reviewer. This work was funded by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Government of Ontario, and the University of Windsor. This study was conducted with permission of the administration at Santa Rosa and complies with Costa Rican law.

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  1. David W. Bradley

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Gate 1 Knighton Road, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, N9B3P4, Canada

    David W. Bradley & Daniel J. Mennill

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Correspondence to David W. Bradley.

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Communicated by J. Fjeldså.

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Bradley, D.W., Mennill, D.J. Solos, duets and choruses: vocal behaviour of the Rufous-naped Wren (Campylorhynchus rufinucha), a cooperatively breeding neotropical songbird. J Ornithol 150, 743–753 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-009-0393-3

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