Trade-off between species recognition and individual discrimination in tropical Turtur doves
Main findings
Research objectives. Song is a fundamental signal associated with sexual selection in birds. The processes that allow for species recognition as well as for individual recognition are inextricably linked and prerequisite for subsequent decisions about strategy of territory defence and mate choice. The two mentioned functions are somewhat contradictory, as species recognition needs the uniform feature of a song within a species, whereas individual recognition is only possible if individuals within a species are somehow acoustically
different. This may lead to conflicting selection pressures that are dependent on the chance of mistaken species recognition and the importance of individual recognition. The problem that we want to deal with in this project is the evolutionary compromise between species specific uniformity and individual-specificity of acoustic signals produced in a sexual selection context. Our model system, the dove species from the Turtur genus inhabit forest-woodland-savanna habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa. Firstly, we want to describe the advertisement song variation among and within all Turtur species, in order to identify species and individually specific song features. Second, we want to experimentally test how birds respond to songs of the same species and different species in populations occurring allopatrically and sympatrically; and if birds can discriminate between neighbours and strangers and how similar, co-existing species affect this process. We plan to use molecular methods to confirm phylogenetic relatedness among the five species and analyse the genetic structure of same- and different-species populations living in sympatry and allopatry.
different. This may lead to conflicting selection pressures that are dependent on the chance of mistaken species recognition and the importance of individual recognition. The problem that we want to deal with in this project is the evolutionary compromise between species specific uniformity and individual-specificity of acoustic signals produced in a sexual selection context. Our model system, the dove species from the Turtur genus inhabit forest-woodland-savanna habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa. Firstly, we want to describe the advertisement song variation among and within all Turtur species, in order to identify species and individually specific song features. Second, we want to experimentally test how birds respond to songs of the same species and different species in populations occurring allopatrically and sympatrically; and if birds can discriminate between neighbours and strangers and how similar, co-existing species affect this process. We plan to use molecular methods to confirm phylogenetic relatedness among the five species and analyse the genetic structure of same- and different-species populations living in sympatry and allopatry.
Papers published
Niśkiewicz M, Szymański P. Zampa L, Budka M, Osiejuk TS () Response of the emerald-spotted wood-dove to the song of conspecific males and sympatric congeners. Ethology, in press
DOI: 10.1111/eth.13498
Niśkiewicz M, Szymański P, Zampa L, Budka M, Osiejuk TS (2024) Neighbour-stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest. Scientific Reports 13: 4252.
DOI 10.1038/s41598-024-53867-7
Niśkiewicz M, Szymański P, Budka M, Osiejuk TS (2023) Response to song of the conspecific and congeneric species song in sympatry and allopatry. Scientific Reports 13:15948. DOI 10.1038/s41598-023-43035-8
Szymański P, Niśkiewicz M, Budka M, Zampa L, Osiejuk TS, Skoracki M (2023) Quill mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) parasitising doves of the genus Turtur (Columbiformes: Columbidae). Systematic and Applied Acarology 28(9):1466-1475.
DOI: 10.11158/saa.28.9.2
Osiejuk, T.S., Żbikowski, B., Wheeldon, A., Budka, M. (2019) Hey mister Tambourine Dove, sing a song for me: simple but individually specific songs of Turtur tympanistria from Cameroon. Avian Research 10:14. DOI:10.1186/s40657-019-0153-x
DOI: 10.1111/eth.13498
Niśkiewicz M, Szymański P, Zampa L, Budka M, Osiejuk TS (2024) Neighbour-stranger discrimination in an African wood dove inhabiting equatorial rainforest. Scientific Reports 13: 4252.
DOI 10.1038/s41598-024-53867-7
Niśkiewicz M, Szymański P, Budka M, Osiejuk TS (2023) Response to song of the conspecific and congeneric species song in sympatry and allopatry. Scientific Reports 13:15948. DOI 10.1038/s41598-023-43035-8
Szymański P, Niśkiewicz M, Budka M, Zampa L, Osiejuk TS, Skoracki M (2023) Quill mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) parasitising doves of the genus Turtur (Columbiformes: Columbidae). Systematic and Applied Acarology 28(9):1466-1475.
DOI: 10.11158/saa.28.9.2
Osiejuk, T.S., Żbikowski, B., Wheeldon, A., Budka, M. (2019) Hey mister Tambourine Dove, sing a song for me: simple but individually specific songs of Turtur tympanistria from Cameroon. Avian Research 10:14. DOI:10.1186/s40657-019-0153-x
Financial support
Project OPUS no 2018/31/B/NZ8/00482
