Directional female preference for an exaggerated male trait in canary (Serinusanaria) song

Abstract

Motor constraints on vocal production impose a trade-off between trill rate and frequency bandwidth within birdsong. We tested whether domesticated canary (Serinus canaria) females, reared either in acoustic isolation or in aviary conditions, had a preference for broad bandwidth songs with artificially increased syllable rates. The copulation solicitation display (CSD) was used as an index of female preference. As predicted, both naive and experienced females were especially responsive to syllables with a broad bandwidth emitted at an artificially increased rate. Female preference for supernormal stimuli provide support for the honest-signalling hypothesis and our results are consistent with recent findings indicating that production of song phrases maximizing both bandwidth and syllable rate may be a reliable indicator of male physical or behavioural qualities. We suggest that female preference for vocal emissions, which simultaneously maximize these two parameters, could be a widespread pattern within songbirds.

Is sexual dimorphism in singing behavior related to syringeal muscle composition?

“…Given these important roles of song, it is likely that vocal quality is subject to strong selective pressures (e.g., Marler and Slabbekoorn 2004). Singing birds may express quality by a variety of acoustic features of the vocal repertoire, among which are rapid temporal aspects such as trill and modulation rates (e.g., Podos 1997, Draganoiu et al 2002, Schmidt et al 2008, Suthers et al 2012. Production of high trill rates encompasses rapid switching between sound production and silent periods, and often includes rapid frequency modulation rates (e.g., Suthers and Goller 1997, Suthers and Zollinger 2008, Riede and Goller 2010, Elemans 2014.…”

The ability to perform physically challenging songs predicts age and size in male swamp sparrows, Melospiza georgiana

“…In laboratory experiments, Vallet and colleagues (Vallet & Kreutzer 1995;Vallet et al 1998) found that phrases characterized by rapid repetition rates of frequency-modulated notes elicited the strongest female response in canaries. In later studies, Draganoiu et al (2002) found that, when given a choice, female canaries preferred trilled phrases that were beyond physical limitations in terms of the trade-off between trill rate and frequency bandwidth. Together these studies suggest that female preferences for trilled portions of songs in canaries might be driven by female preferences for portions of songs that are difficult to produce.…”

‘Out of tune’: consequences of inbreeding on bird song

“…This may also explain why canary females are specifically responsive to certain syllable types sung by males [44], and show preference for particular acoustic features of these syllables [66][67][68]. A preference for certain aspects of phonetics has also been found in other species: zebra finches [69], and Figure 2.…”