DOCSLIB.ORG

Parental Care and Investment in the Tooth-Billed Bowerbird Scenopoeetes Dentirostris (Ptilonorhynchidae)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Parental Care and Investment in the Tooth-Billed Bowerbird Scenopoeetes Dentirostris (Ptilonorhynchidae) VOL. 11 (4) DECEMBER 1985 103 AUSTRALIAN BIRD WATCHER 1985, 11, 103-113 Parental Care and Investment in the Tooth-billed Bowerbird Scenopoeetes dentirostris (Ptilonorhynchidae) By C.B. FRITH and D.W. FRITH, 'Prionodura', Paluma via Townsville, Qld 4816 Summary The known southern distributional limit of the Tooth-billed Bowerbird Scenopoeetes dentirostris is extended from Paluma (19°00'S, 146°l3'E) to Mt Elliot(l9°30'S, 146°57'E) near Townsville, Queensland. Records of the rarely found nest of Scenopoeetes, clutch size, egg weight, egg-laying and nestling periods are summarised. Systematic observations over 45 hours at three nests strongly suggest, but do not conclusively prove, uniparentalism presumably by females. Data for a single-nestling brood at one nest are compared with similar data for the uniparental Golden Bowerbird Prionodura newtoniana and monogamous biparental Spotted Catbird Ailuroedus melanotis, which provide further evidence in support of uniparentalism in Scenopoeetes. Meagre nestling diet information is summarised. Parental care and behavioural records are reviewed and previous erroneous and confusing reports discussed. • Introduction The Tooth-billed Bowerbird* Scenopoeetes dentirostris is one of the least known of the 18 bowerbird species and is certainly less known than the other eight species in Australia. It occurs in upland rainforests between c. 600 and 1400 m above sea level from Mt Amos (15°42'S, 145°18'£) southward to Saddle Mountain on Mt Elliot (l9°30'S, 146°57'£) just south of Townsville, Queensland, where Dr George Heinsohn (pers. comm.) was attracted to an active court by typical male vocalisations on 13 November 1980. This is an extension of the previously known southern limit of this bird's range of 55 km due south or 90 km to the south-east from the previously recorded location of Paluma or Mt Spec (Storr 1973, Griffin 1974). The Tooth-bill is an atypical bowerbird in being a very cryptically plumaged, sexually monomorphic rainforest dweller long thought to breed monogamously (North 1904, Jackson 1909, Marshalll954, 1964, Chaffer 1984) but which is now considered a species in which males are promiscuous and females uniparental (Gilliard 1969, Schodde 1976, Donaghey et al. 1985). Both sexes have conspicuous serrations on the mandible edges, which are used in eating foliage (Lavery & Grimes 1974, Frith & Frith 1979), hence the common name. Males do not construct bowers, as do males of other polygamous bowerbird species, but clear a court area of rainforest-floor leaf litter and place selected leaves paler side uppermost on to the clearing as decorations. At their courts males are spectacularly vocal, but are very wary and quickly retire to higher forest foliage if approached without great care. *Tooth-billed CatbirdAiluroedus dentirostris in the Interim List of Australian Songbirds, 1975. AUSTRALIAN 104 FRITH & FRITH BIRD WATCHER Fema"te Tooth-billed Bowerbird biology is unknowl} save some anecdotal, misleading and confusing accounts in early oologicalliterature (see below). It is assumed that females are attracted to courts where they assess the quality of male vocalisations, displays, courts and decorations and perhaps male attendance levels (time investments) before soliciting a selected male. Females apparently incubate eggs and rear young unaided (i.e. without male assistance). The nesting season, clutch size and brood size George Sharpe (Anon 1909) collected a nest and two eggs on 7 November 1908. Jackson (1909) found nests with eggs between 8 and 27 December: three clutches of two, and one of a single egg incubated for about 5 days which suggested a completed clutch. He also found two fertilised eggs in each of two females that he shot at male courts. Moreover, he found four additional nests containing one nestling between 5 (not 10 as cited by Marshall 1954 and repeated by Cooper & Forshaw 1976) and 26 December. The estimated age of one of these nestlings was 3 to 4 days on 5 December and another was 'rather well feathered' on 19 December. We add to this our nests: two with a clutch of two, and one nest with a single nestling (see below). The clutch of eggs collected by Sharpe on 7 November and one we found on 21 November appear to be the earliest recorded egg-laying dates for Scenopoeetes. Warham's (1962) very recently fledged nestling provides an approximate latest known fledging date of 22 January. Beruldsen (1980), however, gave the 'nesting season' as October to December and Schodde (1976) stated that 'nesting' occurs from September to January which is unlikely as males do not commence court clearing in any significant way . until September (pers. obs., in prep). Parental care - the historical background Male Tooth-bills often appear the most conspicuous and numerous birds in their highland rainforest range during the summer, and yet remarkably very few nests have been recorded. A nest found by Mr G. Sharpe on 7 November 1908 (Jackson 1909, p. 265) appears to be the first record. Sharpe met S.W. Jackson in the Evelyn Scrubs and gave the latter hints on locating Scenopoeetes nests. Jackson was on a major three-month search for nests and eggs of highland rainforest birds but particularly for those of the Tooth-billed Bowerbird. He eventually located nine nests, by methodically sending aboriginal climbers up vine-covered forest trees, or by observing the movements of birds. None of these nests were visible from the ground, being small, sparse cup structures of fine tendrils placed in high, dense vine tangles. Jackson (1909) has published excellent photographs of nests and eggs, and of a nest containing a nestling. A note by W.S. Day (in North 1904, p. 70) states 'At the end of June they [Tooth-bills] begin to mate, and go about in pairs only' but this is contrary to our experience and that of others (Lavery & Grimes 1974) and is without foundation. Often, Jackson referred to 'Tooth-bills' or a 'pair' of birds being observed in order to locate a nest, or becoming excited when a nest was approached; or VOL. 11 (4) DECEMBER 1985 Tooth-billed Bowerbird: Parental Care & Investment 105 First published photograph of an incubating, presumed female Tooth-billed Bowerbird Scenopoeetes dentirostris, Paloma (north Queensland), December 1984 Plate 28 Photo: C. & D. Frith even to watching a fledged young being fed 'by the parents'. Moreover, he stated (1909, p. 276) that the 'pair' at a nest containing two eggs on 8 December involved a female that had maintained a court prior to nesting and a male that maintained his court until at least 13 December. His reference to male Tooth-bills taking any part in nesting can, we feel, be discounted as he was misled by the contemporary assumption that the Tooth-bill was a monogamously breeding bird (North 1904, p. 70) and therefore misinterpreted what he saw, or thought he saw. Our observations and those of others clearly suggest uniparentalism in Scenopoeetes whilst other statements by Jackson clearly indicate his confusion on this point. On several occasions Jackson noted only the one Tooth-bill at a nest He also specifically noted that Tooth­ bills 'sit close' on eggs, permitting a man to approach within a few metres. Such behaviour is also typical of sitting uniparental female Golden Bowerbirds Prionodura newtoniana and Satin Bowerbirds Ptilonorhynchus violaceus (pers. obs.), but is far less so of sitting monogamous female Spotted Catbirds Ailuroedus melanotis which quit the nest whilst an approaching human is further away relative to the close approach that the above uniparental females will permit (pers. obs.). Jackson's (1909, p. 256) first personal observation of the species involved 'a pair' of birds 'evidently conducting a primitive courtship ... rubbing their bills together'. We have seen similar activity on several occasions, involving two, three or four birds, but these instances appeared more likely to be aggressive encounters at a feeding tree. This initial observation of Jackson's may, however, have given him a lasting wrong impression. AUSTRALIAN 106 FRITH & FRITH BIRD WATCHER Also indicative of Jackson's predisposition to the nption that both sexes of Scenopoeetes share nesting duties is his reference t<{'long-watched pairs of rifle birds' (Victoria's Riflebird Ptiloris victoriae) a(lnests. His error in this respect was not unique, as (promiscuous) bowerbirds and birds of paradise were widely thought to nest in pairs and were therefore 'seen' to do so by the biased observer. Foster (in Campbell 1901, p. 68) recorded both female and male Paradise Riflebirds Ptiloris paradiseus nest building. Hislop (in North 1904, p. 28) reported a 'pair' of the latter species driving a Blaclc Butcherbird Cracticus quoyi 'from the neighbourhood oftheirnest'. Significantly, however, all three references to riflebirds actually seen sitting on nests in Campbell (1901) involve female-plumaged birds only, and clearly the aforementioned records of apparent 'pairs' obviously involved a nest-building or nest­ defending female whose scolds had temporarily attracted the attention of a male. Our experience is that the scolding distress calls of a nesting female uniparental bowerbird (Prionodura, Ptilonorhynchus, Scenopoeetes) often quickly attract conspecifics which may join in the scolding. Whilst direct evidence ofuniparentalism in Ptiloris spp. is lacking (LeCroy 1981), members of this genus are invariably considered to be promiscuous in males and uniparental in females (Gilliard 1969, Cooper & Forshaw 1977, LeCroy 1981, Beehler 1983, Beehler & Pruett-lones 1983). Most regrettably Chaffer (1984) has, without any justification, repeated the assumption that male Tooth-bills assist not only in the· raising of young, but also in nest building. The recorded Tooth-bill clutch of only one or two eggs (Jackson 1909, Anon 1909; pers. obs.) and the apparently not uncommon brood of a single nestling (Jackson 1909; pers. obs.) indicate a small clutch size (x = 1.50, N = 14). The mean clutch size of monogamous catbirds is 2.12 for the Green Catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris (N = 17: Donaghey 1981) and 2.03 for the Spotted Catbird (N = 66: pers.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Labile Evolution of Display Traits in Bowerbirds Indicates Reduced Effects of Phylogenetic Constraint
    Labile evolution of display traits in bowerbirds indicates reduced effects of phylogenetic constraint " # # RAB KUSMIERSKI , GERALD BORGIA , ALBERT UY " ROSS H.CROZIER " School of Genetics and Human Variation, La Trobe Uniersit, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia # Department of Zoolog, Uniersit of Marland, College Park, MD 20742, USA SUMMARY Bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae) have among the most exaggerated sets of display traits known, including bowers, decorated display courts and bright plumage, that differ greatly in form and degree of elaboration among species. Mapping bower and plumage traits on an independently derived phylogeny constructed from mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences revealed large differences in display traits between closely related species and convergences in both morphological and behavioural traits. Plumage characters showed no effect of phylogenetic inertia, although bowers exhibited some constraint at the more fundamental level of design, but above which they appeared free of constraint. Bowers and plumage characters, therefore, are poor indicators of phylogenetic relationship in this group. Testing Gilliard’s (1969) transferral hypothesis indicated some support for the idea that the focus of display has shifted from bird to bower in avenue-building species, but not in maypole-builders or in bowerbirds as a whole. maypole-builders (Amblornis, four spp.; Prionodura) in- 1. INTRODUCTION clude the orange-crested males of A. macgregoriae, which Bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae) form a monophyletic decorate a sapling with horizontally interwoven sticks. family (Kusmierski et al. 1993) (eight genera, 19 species) The dull-coloured, monomorphic A. inornatus of endemic to Australia and New Guinea, and are unique western Irian Jaya (Arfak and Wandamen mountains) in the bird world in constructing and using a bower in and the orange-crested, dimorphic A.
    [Show full text]
  • Pacific National Greta Provisioning Facility Biodiversity Offset Package
    Pacific National Greta Provisioning Facility Biodiversity Offset Package January 2013 Contents 1. Executive Summary ................................................................ 1 2. Introduction ............................................................................. 3 2.1 Overview ........................................................................................ 3 2.2 Objectives ...................................................................................... 4 2.3 Relationship with Existing Reports .................................................. 6 2.4 Site Context .................................................................................... 6 2.5 BioBanking ................................................................................... 10 2.6 Glossary of Terms ........................................................................ 11 3. Methodology ......................................................................... 14 3.1 Desktop Assessment .................................................................... 14 3.2 BioBanking Assessment and Credit Calculation ............................ 14 3.3 Potential Offset Property Comparison ........................................... 15 3.4 Site Survey ................................................................................... 16 3.5 Staff Qualifications ........................................................................ 17 4. Existing Environment ............................................................ 21 4.1 Development Area .......................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Avian Monogamy
    (ISBN: 0-943610-45-1) AVIAN MONOGAMY EDITED BY PATRICIA ADAIR GOWATY AND DOUGLAS W. MOCK Department of Zoology University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma 73019 ORNITHOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS NO. 37 PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION WASHINGTON, D.C. 1985 AVIAN MONOGAMY ORNITHOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS This series, published by the American Ornithologists' Union, has been estab- lished for major papers too long for inclusion in the Union's journal, The Auk. Publication has been made possiblethrough the generosityof the late Mrs. Carll Tucker and the Marcia Brady Tucker Foundation, Inc. Correspondenceconcerning manuscripts for publication in the seriesshould be addressedto the Editor, Dr. David W. Johnston,Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030. Copies of Ornithological Monographs may be ordered from the Assistant to the Treasurer of the AOU, Frank R. Moore, Department of Biology, University of Southern Mississippi, Southern Station Box 5018, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406. (See price list on back and inside back covers.) OrnithologicalMonographs,No. 37, vi + 121 pp. Editors of Ornithological Monographs, Mercedes S. Foster and David W. Johnston Special Reviewers for this issue, Walter D. Koenig, Hastings Reservation, Star Route Box 80, Carmel Valley, CA 93924; Lewis W. Oring, De- partment of Biology,Box 8238, University Station, Grand Forks, ND 58202 Authors, Patricia Adair Gowaty, Department of BiologicalSciences, Clem- son University, Clemson, SC 29631; Douglas W. Mock, Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 First received, 23 August 1983; accepted29 February 1984; final revision completed 8 October 1984 Issued October 17, 1985 Price $11.00 prepaid ($9.00 to AOU members). Library of CongressCatalogue Card Number 85-647080 Printed by the Allen Press,Inc., Lawrence, Kansas 66044 Copyright ¸ by the American Ornithologists'Union, 1985 ISBN: 0-943610-45-1 ii AVIAN MONOGAMY EDITED BY PATRICIA ADAIR GOWATY AND DOUGLAS W.
    [Show full text]
  • Nest, Egg, Incubation Behaviour and Parental Care in the Huon Bowerbird Amblyornis Germana
    Australian Field Ornithology 2019, 36, 18–23 http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo36018023 Nest, egg, incubation behaviour and parental care in the Huon Bowerbird Amblyornis germana Richard H. Donaghey1, 2*, Donna J. Belder3, Tony Baylis4 and Sue Gould5 1Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan 4111 QLD, Australia 280 Sawards Road, Myalla TAS 7325, Australia 3Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia 4628 Utopia Road, Brooweena QLD 4621, Australia 5269 Burraneer Road, Coomba Park NSW 2428, Australia *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] Abstract. The Huon Bowerbird Amblyornis germana, recently elevated to species status, is endemic to montane forests on the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea. The polygynous males in the Yopno Urawa Som Conservation Area build distinctive maypole bowers. We document for the first time the nest, egg, incubation behaviour, and parental care of this species. Three of the five nests found were built in tree-fern crowns. Nest structure and the single-egg clutch were similar to those of MacGregor’s Bowerbird A. macgregoriae. Only the female Huon Bowerbird incubated. Mean length of incubation sessions was 30.9 minutes and the number of sessions daily was 18. Diurnal incubation constancy over a 12-hour day was 74%, compared with a mean of ~70% in six other members of the bowerbird family. The downy nestling resembled that of MacGregor’s Bowerbird. Vocalisations of a female Huon Bowerbird at a nest with a nestling
    [Show full text]
  • Variation in Birdsong of Red Vented Bulbul ( Pycnonotus Cafer) Inhabiting Two Different Locations
    Journal of Experimental Sciences 2012, 3(8): 21-25 ISSN: 2218-1768 Available Online: http://jexpsciences.com/ Variation in birdsong of red vented bulbul ( Pycnonotus cafer) Inhabiting two different locations Manjunath and Bhaskar Joshi Department of Zoology, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga, Karnataka, India Abstract This species emits a high variety of acoustic signals in their communication. The signals may be long or short and simple; these signals can be classified into songs and calls. Individuals sang throughout the year. The songs of red-vented bulbul (pycnonotus cafer ) in two regions: Gulbarga and Ainoli were studied during the period from March 2008 to June 2009. The results show that variations exist in this bird species. The songs of birds from two regions shows differences in the tone characteristics, number of syllables, duration, spectral features and frequency range of the main sentence and so on. Keywords: Pycnonotus cafer, Gulbarga, Ainoli. INTRODUCTION from which are unlikely to meet each other. Significant The vocalizations of animals are unique in that they lend macrogeographic differences between populations have been themselves readily to accurate and objective analysis, made possible demonstrated in several species, such as Lincoln’s Sparrows through the recently improved technical aids in sound recording and (Melospiza lincolnii ) (Cicero and Benowitz-Fredericks 2000), Song analysis. Birds use an array of vocal signals in their communication. sparrows ( M. melodia ) (Peters et al., 2000), Willow Flycatchers These signals may be long and complex or short and simple, and (Empidonax trailli ) (Sedgwick 2001), Golden Bowebirds ( Prionodura they may occur in particular contexts (Catchpole and Slater 1995). newtonia ) (Westcoott and Kroon 2002).
    [Show full text]
  • Spring Bird Surveys in the Gloucester Tops
    Gloucester Tops bird surveys The Whistler 13 (2019): 26-34 Spring bird surveys in the Gloucester Tops Alan Stuart1 and Mike Newman2 181 Queens Road, New Lambton, NSW 2305, Australia [email protected] 272 Axiom Way, Acton Park, Tasmania 7021, Australia [email protected] Received 14 March 2019; accepted 11 May 2019; published on-line 15 July 2019 Spring surveys between 2010 and 2017 in the Gloucester Tops in New South Wales recorded 92 bird species. The bird assemblages in three altitude zones were characterised and the Reporting Rates for individual species were compared. Five species (Rufous Scrub-bird Atrichornis rufescens, Red-browed Treecreeper Climacteris erythrops, Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus, Olive Whistler Pachycephala olivacea and Flame Robin Petroica phoenicea) were more likely to be recorded at high altitude. The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita, Brown Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia phasianella and Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca were less likely to be recorded at high altitude. All these differences were statistically significant. Two species, Paradise Riflebird Lophorina paradiseus and Bell Miner Manorina melanophrys, were more likely to be recorded at mid-altitude than at high altitude, and had no low-altitude records. The differences were statistically significant. Many of the 78 species found at low altitude were infrequently or never recorded at higher altitudes and for 18 species, the differences warrant further investigation. There was only one record of the Regent Bowerbird Sericulus chrysocephalus and evidence is provided that this species may have become uncommon in the area. The populations of Green Catbird Ailuroedus crassirostris, Australian Logrunner Orthonyx temminckii and Pale-yellow Robin Tregellasia capito may also have declined.
    [Show full text]
  • Parallel Evolution of Bower-Building Behavior in Two Groups of Bowerbirds Suggested by Phylogenomics
    SUPPLEMENT TO: Parallel Evolution of Bower-Building Behavior in Two Groups of Bowerbirds Suggested by Phylogenomics Per G.P. Ericson 1 *, Martin Irestedt 1, Johan A.A. Nylander 1, Les Christidis 2, Leo Joseph 3, Yanhua Qu 1, 4 * 1 Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, PO Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden 2 School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia, School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia 3 Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia 4 Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China CONTENT 1. MATERIAL AND METHODS (DETAILED DESCRIPTION) 2. FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT SYSTEMATIC RELATIONSHIPS OBSERVED 3. DATA REPOSITORIES 4. SUPPLEMENTARY FIGURES S1-S5 5. SUPPLEMENTARY TABLES S1-S2 1. MATERIAL AND METHODS (DETAILED DESCRIPTION) Taxon Sampling In the study, we include all traditionally recognized bowerbird species as well as representatives for each of the morphologically and genetically distinct populations of the genus Ailuroedus that recently were elevated from status as subspecies to full species (Irestedt et al. 2016). The number of Ailuroedus species thus increased from the traditionally recognized three species (buccoides, crassirostris and melanotis; species epithets used for brevity when possible) to ten (buccoides, stonii, geislerorum, crassirostris, maculosus, melanocephalus, astigmaticus, arfakianus, jobiensis and melanotis). We used cryo-frozen tissue samples for most taxa, but for twelve individuals DNA was extracted from toe pad samples of museum study skins (Table S1 available on Dryad). We base our information on mating system, sexual plumage dimorphism, and building of courts and bowers on Gilliard (1969), Diamond (1986a), Kusmierski et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Catalogue of Protozoan Parasites Recorded in Australia Peter J. O
    1 CATALOGUE OF PROTOZOAN PARASITES RECORDED IN AUSTRALIA PETER J. O’DONOGHUE & ROBERT D. ADLARD O’Donoghue, P.J. & Adlard, R.D. 2000 02 29: Catalogue of protozoan parasites recorded in Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 45(1):1-164. Brisbane. ISSN 0079-8835. Published reports of protozoan species from Australian animals have been compiled into a host- parasite checklist, a parasite-host checklist and a cross-referenced bibliography. Protozoa listed include parasites, commensals and symbionts but free-living species have been excluded. Over 590 protozoan species are listed including amoebae, flagellates, ciliates and ‘sporozoa’ (the latter comprising apicomplexans, microsporans, myxozoans, haplosporidians and paramyxeans). Organisms are recorded in association with some 520 hosts including mammals, marsupials, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. Information has been abstracted from over 1,270 scientific publications predating 1999 and all records include taxonomic authorities, synonyms, common names, sites of infection within hosts and geographic locations. Protozoa, parasite checklist, host checklist, bibliography, Australia. Peter J. O’Donoghue, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Australia; Robert D. Adlard, Protozoa Section, Queensland Museum, PO Box 3300, South Brisbane 4101, Australia; 31 January 2000. CONTENTS the literature for reports relevant to contemporary studies. Such problems could be avoided if all previous HOST-PARASITE CHECKLIST 5 records were consolidated into a single database. Most Mammals 5 researchers currently avail themselves of various Reptiles 21 electronic database and abstracting services but none Amphibians 26 include literature published earlier than 1985 and not all Birds 34 journal titles are covered in their databases. Fish 44 Invertebrates 54 Several catalogues of parasites in Australian PARASITE-HOST CHECKLIST 63 hosts have previously been published.
    [Show full text]
  • Male Courtship Vocalizations As Cues for Mate Choice in the Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus Violaceus)
    MALE COURTSHIP VOCALIZATIONS AS CUES FOR MATE CHOICE IN THE SATIN BOWERBIRD (PTILONORHYNCHUS VIOLACEUS) CHRISTOPHER A. LOFFREDO AND GERALD BORGIA Departmentof Zoology,University of Maryland,College Park, Maryland 20742 USA AI3STRACT.--MaleSatin Bowerbirds(Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) court femalesat specialized structurescalled bowers. Courtship includes a complexpattern of vocalizationsin which a broad-band,mechanical-sounding song is followed by interspecificmimicry. We studiedthe effect of male courtshipdisplays on male mating successin Satin Bowerbirds.Data from 2 yearsof field researchshowed low between-maledifferences in mechanicalcomponents of courtshipsong and high variability betweenmales in mimeticsinging. Older malessang longer and higher-qualitybouts of mimicry than did youngermales. In one year, courtship song featureswere correlatedwith male mating success.The resultssuggest that female SatinBowerbirds use male courtship vocalizations in their mate-choicedecisions. We discuss hypothesesabout assessment of male age and dominancefrom courtshipvocalizations and suggestthat thesesongs have evolvedas a result of selectionfor male displaycharacteristics that provide femaleswith information about the relative quality of prospectivemates. Re- ceived27 June1985, accepted20 September1985. MALESatin Bowerbirds(Ptilonorhynchus vio- ingnessto copulateor by flying away. Given laceus)build specializedstructures called bow- the complexity of male display and the atten- ers that are used as sites for courting females tion femalespay to displayingmales,
    [Show full text]
  • Eastern Australia: October-November 2016
    Tropical Birding Trip Report Eastern Australia: October-November 2016 A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour EASTERN AUSTRALIA: From Top to Bottom 23rd October – 11th November 2016 The bird of the trip, the very impressive POWERFUL OWL Tour Leader: Laurie Ross All photos in this report were taken by Laurie Ross/Tropical Birding. 1 www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110 [email protected] Page Tropical Birding Trip Report Eastern Australia: October-November 2016 INTRODUCTION The Eastern Australia Set Departure Tour introduces a huge amount of new birds and families to the majority of the group. We started the tour in Cairns in Far North Queensland, where we found ourselves surrounded by multiple habitats from the tidal mudflats of the Cairns Esplanade, the Great Barrier Reef and its sandy cays, lush lowland and highland rainforests of the Atherton Tablelands, and we even made it to the edge of the Outback near Mount Carbine; the next leg of the tour took us south to Southeast Queensland where we spent time in temperate rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests within Lamington National Park. The third, and my favorite leg, of the tour took us down to New South Wales, where we birded a huge variety of new habitats from coastal heathland to rocky shorelines and temperate rainforests in Royal National Park, to the mallee and brigalow of Inland New South Wales. The fourth and final leg of the tour saw us on the beautiful island state of Tasmania, where we found all 13 “Tassie” endemics. We had a huge list of highlights, from finding a roosting Lesser Sooty Owl in Malanda; to finding two roosting Powerful Owls near Brisbane; to having an Albert’s Lyrebird walk out in front of us at O Reilly’s; to seeing the rare and endangered Regent Honeyeaters in the Capertee Valley, and finding the endangered Swift Parrot on Bruny Island, in Tasmania.
    [Show full text]
  • Unlocking the Black Box of Feather Louse Diversity: a Molecular Phylogeny of the Hyper-Diverse Genus Brueelia Q ⇑ Sarah E
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 94 (2016) 737–751 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Unlocking the black box of feather louse diversity: A molecular phylogeny of the hyper-diverse genus Brueelia q ⇑ Sarah E. Bush a, , Jason D. Weckstein b,1, Daniel R. Gustafsson a, Julie Allen c, Emily DiBlasi a, Scott M. Shreve c,2, Rachel Boldt c, Heather R. Skeen b,3, Kevin P. Johnson c a Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA b Field Museum of Natural History, Science and Education, Integrative Research Center, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, USA c Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, 1816 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820, USA article info abstract Article history: Songbirds host one of the largest, and most poorly understood, groups of lice: the Brueelia-complex. The Received 21 May 2015 Brueelia-complex contains nearly one-tenth of all known louse species (Phthiraptera), and the genus Revised 15 September 2015 Brueelia has over 300 species. To date, revisions have been confounded by extreme morphological Accepted 18 September 2015 variation, convergent evolution, and periodic movement of lice between unrelated hosts. Here we use Available online 9 October 2015 Bayesian inference based on mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (EF-1a) gene fragments to analyze the phylogenetic relationships among 333 individuals within the Brueelia-complex. We show that the genus Keywords: Brueelia, as it is currently recognized, is paraphyletic. Many well-supported and morphologically unified Brueelia clades within our phylogenetic reconstruction of Brueelia were previously described as genera.
    [Show full text]
  • DAVID BISHOP BIRD TOURS Papua New Guinea 2014
    DAVID BISHOP BIRD TOURS Papua New Guinea 2014 Leader: David Bishop Compiled By: David Bishop Adult male Wattled Ploughbill K. David Bishop David Bishop Bird Tours 2014 David Bishop Bird Tours Papua New Guinea and NE Queensland March 20 – April 6, 2014 Leader: David Bishop This bespoke tour was specially designed to seek out some very distinctive, elusive families and near-families in addition to as many as possible of the distinctive genera. In this and just about everything else I think it fair to say we were enormously successful. This was in no small part due to Tim’s skill in the field and general diligence plus some fine help in from the likes of Leonard, Daniel, Sam and Max. Undoubtedly this was one of the most thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating tours I have ever operated. We both learnt a great deal, for me not least that birding in PNG during late March and early April makes a very pleasant and productive change from the more traditional months. Needless to say we shared a great deal of fun in addition to enjoying some truly spectacular birds, landscape as well some fine cultural experiences. Despite PNG’s sometimes, insalubrious reputation, the people are undoubtedly among the most friendly and fascinating peoples on our planet. Just a handful of this tour’s highlights included: An enormous adult male Southern Cassowary permitted a very close encounter for 30 minutes at Cassowary House – I do believe New Guineans are correct in NOT classifying this beast as a bird! One of the very best day’s birding I can ever recall in Varirata National Park.
    [Show full text]