THE VOCAL BEHAVIOUR OF LONG-TAILED MANAKINS (CHIROXIPHIA LINEARIS): THE ROLE OF VOCALIZATIONS IN MATE ATTRACTION AND MALE-MALE INTERACTIONS.
Abstract
Tropical birds are little studied relative to temperate birds, despite the fact that tropical species often exhibit unique behaviours, not seen in the temperate-zone. I explore the link between male vocal behaviour and female movement in neotropical lekking Long-tailed Manakins (Chiroxiphia linearis) using acoustic recordings to monitor male vocalizations and a novel telemetry system to monitor female visitation behaviour. I report surprisingly few relationships between male vocalizations and female visitation behaviour, in contrast to results from another long-term study population in a different habitat. I examine the timing of male calling behaviour, showing that males avoid overlapping known neighbours, but actively overlap unknown intruders simulated through playback. Overall, my thesis provides insight into acoustic communication in manakins, revealing that male vocalizations play less of a role than expected in female mate choice, and that males modify the timing of their calls in response to the vocalizations of other nearby individuals.