Some Aspects of Adaptation and Evolution in Australian Fantailed Flycatchers

Harrison, C. J. O.

doi:10.1071/mu9760115

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Because we could not show influence of the number and configuration of white patches on escape distance, we suggest that the location of bright areas anywhere on the plumage serves as an effective releaser of escape responses in flies, provided that these areas are displayed during foraging. This would explain why most species of the fly-eating, flush-pursuing genus Myioborus [Moynihan, 1962;Sherry, 1984;Howell and Webb, 1995;Jabĺoński, 1999], and many species of the fly-eating, flush-pursuing genus Rhipidura [Harrison, 1976;Pizzey, 1980;Cameron, 1985] have one set of contrasting patches in the tail or on the rump. In summary, controlled field experiments show that an optimal coloration of the plumage of a flush pursuer is dark with a few bright patches, and this pattern is typical of many flush-pursuing bird species.…”

Section: Evolution Of Foraging Displays In Flush Pursuing Insectivoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploitation of an Ancient Escape Circuit by an Avian Predator: Prey Sensitivity to Model Predator Display in the Field

Jabłoński

Strausfeld

2000

Brain Behav Evol

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Certain insectivorous birds, such as the painted redstart (Myioborus pictus), undertake flush pursuit – a characteristic display that elicits an escape reaction by an insect, which the bird then chases in the air and eats. This account describes experiments showing that flush pursuit uses visual displays, which are likely to exploit an ancient neural circuit in dipteran insects, the visual systems of which are well documented as detecting looming stimuli and triggering an escape responses. Using models that decompose components of the redstart display, specific elements of the display were analyzed for their contribution in triggering visually induced escape behavior by dipterous insects. Elements tested were pivoting body movements, patterning on the spread tail and wings, and visual contrast of model redstarts against pale and dark backgrounds. We show that contrasting patterns within the plumage are crucial to foraging success, as is contrast of the bird against a background. Visual motion also significantly contributes to the successful flushing. In contrast, unpatterned models and patterned models that do not contrast with the background are less successful in eliciting escape responses of flies. Natural visual stimuli provided by Myioborus pictus are similar to those known to trigger looming and time-to-collision neurons in the escape circuits of flies and other insects, such as orthopterans. We propose that the tuning properties of these neural pathways might have contributed to the evolution of foraging displays in flush-pursuing birds.

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Section: Evolution Of Foraging Displays In Flush Pursuing Insectivoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploitation of an Ancient Escape Circuit by an Avian Predator: Prey Sensitivity to Model Predator Display in the Field

Jabłoński

Strausfeld

2000

Brain Behav Evol

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“…All members of the genus Rhipidura and a number of other insectivorous bird taxa incorporate fanning and/or wagging of the tail and jerky movements of the wings into their foraging behaviour (Selander and Hunter 1960;Goodwin 1967;Harrison 1976;Cameron 1985;Simpson and Day 1986;McLean 1989;Jackson and Elgar 1993). Wing-flashing and tail-wagging appear to be complementary activities for wagtails.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, many birds wing-flash and tail-wag, apparently in order to startle insects on the ground into movement, and thereby facilitate their capture (Goodwin 1967;Harrison 1976;Pizzey 1980;Cameron 1985;Slater et al 1986;Jackson and Elgar 1993;Jablonski 1996). If tail-wagging and wing-flashing assist in foraging behaviours, the rate at which they occur may depend upon current energy reserves, time of day and the relative abundance and taxonomic composition of the available prey.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of time of day and environmental conditions on the foraging behaviours of willie wagtails, Rhipidura leucophrys

Webb-Pullman¹,

Elgar²

1998

Aust. J. Zool.

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The insectivorous willie wagtail, Rhipidura leucophrys, exhibits a range of discrete, easily identified foraging behaviours that include wagging the tail and flashing the wing. We investigated whether wagtails adjust these, and other foraging behaviours, according to the time of day and environmental conditions. The rates of tail-wagging and wing-flashing were influenced by the time of day and light intensity. Tail-wagging was more frequent at the start and end of the day, while wing flashing was more frequent during the middle of the day. The rate of aerial prey captures was also highest during the middle of the day and lower in the early morning and late afternoon. These daily patterns of foraging behaviours correspond with the patterns of insect activity, which was greater in the middle of the day than in the early morning or late afternoon. The field data, together with experiments using a model wagtail tail, support the view that tail-wagging and wing-flashing are used to flush insect prey.

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“…The Wagtail is a pursuit predator that chases aerial insects, and the tail is wagged at variable rates while it is foraging on the ground. The function of tail-wagging is not known: it may assist the balance of foraging birds, provide either an intra-or inter-specific signal function, or may flush cryptic insects from the ground (Goodwin 1967;Harrison 1976;Cameron 1979;1985). The latter function has been most widely proposed by ornithologists (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys (hereafter referred to as Wagtail), commonly found in urban parklands and suburbs, is a ground-feeding insectivore that prefers open habitats with little or no canopy (Cameron 1979;Harrison 1976). This species derives its name from its well-known tail-wagging behaviour, in which the bird rapidly moves its tail side-to-side in the horizontal plane.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Foraging Behaviour of the Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys: Why Does it Wag its Tail?

Jackson

Elgar

1993

Emu - Austral Ornithology

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Some Aspects of Adaptation and Evolution in Australian Fantailed Flycatchers

Cited by 15 publications

References 4 publications

Exploitation of an Ancient Escape Circuit by an Avian Predator: Prey Sensitivity to Model Predator Display in the Field

Exploitation of an Ancient Escape Circuit by an Avian Predator: Prey Sensitivity to Model Predator Display in the Field

The influence of time of day and environmental conditions on the foraging behaviours of willie wagtails, Rhipidura leucophrys

The Foraging Behaviour of the Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys: Why Does it Wag its Tail?

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