Ethology of the Mexican Junco (Junco phaeonotus palliatus) Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Moore, Nelson J. (Nelson Jay), 1941- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 24/09/2021 16:49:59 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/565264 ETHOLOGY OF THE MEXICAN JUNCO (JUNCO PHAEONOTUS PALLIATUS) by Nelson Jay Moore A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN ZOOLOGY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 7 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE I hereby recommend that this dissertation prepared under my direction by Nelson Jay Moore__________________________ entitled ETHOLOGY OF THE MEXICAN JUNCO_______________ (JUNCO PHAEONOTUS PALLIATUS)________________ be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy________________________ Lu • ( Dissertation Director Date After inspection of the final copy of the dissertation, the following members of the Final Examination Committee concur in its approval and recommend its acceptance: *'• n : t/\ rj ^ U ai t ^ ^ 1 /o 26 / 472^ This approval and acceptance is contingent on the candidate's adequate performance and defense of this dissertation at the final oral examination. The inclusion of this sheet bound into the library copy of the dissertation is evidence of satisfactory performance at the final examination. STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allow­ able without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manu­ script in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: U- jf/ZrO-a-' ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express thanks to Dr. Stephen M. Russell for his' encouragement and guidance during this study. I am indebted to Dr. H. Ronald Pulliam who assumed the role of adviser during 1971-72, while Dr. Russell was on sab­ batical leave. His ideas concerning the study were stimu­ lating, and his help with the statistics was invaluable. I express my appreciation to my wife, Janet, for her continual encouragement and her role in editing and typing the early drafts of this paper. Thanks also go to Mary Petre for her help in typing. This work was supported in 1970 by a grant from the Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund (American Museum of Natural History). ill TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.............. vil LIST OF TABLES ................... lx ABSTRACT ........................ x INTRODUCTION ....................... ........ 1 GENERAL PROCEDURE.......... .. ............... 3 MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES ........ ............ 5 Description.................. 5 Preening .................................... 5 Stretching . ......................... 6 Yawning or Jaw-stretching .................. 6 Head-scratching............ 7 Water-bathing ........................... 8 Sun-bathing.......................... 8 Resting ....................... ....... 9 Drinking .................................... 10 L o c o m o t i o n ................................. 10 Tail-spreading ...................... 12 Feeding Methods ............................. 12 Feeding in the Shade .............. 16 Seed- shelling............................... 19 Bill-wiping................ ................ 19 Discussion ...................................... 19 AGONISTIC BEHAVIOR AND PREDATOR RESPONSE .......... 24 Description of Behaviors ..................... 23 Aggressive Behaviors ..................... 25 Retreating Behaviors .......... 33 Avoidance Behaviors ................ 36 Proximate and Ultimate Significance of Agonistic Behaviors .............. 36 Ultimate Significance ..................... 36 Proximate Significance .................... 37 Causation ............ 41 Aggressive Behaviors ..................... 42 Retreating Behaviors ....................... 45 iv V TABLE OP CONTENTS— Continued Page Discussion of Agonistic Behavior .............. 46 Predator Response ............................... 49 WINTER FLOCKING .................... ............... 51 Flocking Signals ........................... 51 Flight C a l l ........................ 51 • Wing - w h i r r i n g ............................. 51 Chipping................................ 52 • Other Flocking Signals ............ .... 52 Flock Development ...... ................. 53 Movement of the Flock ............................ 56 Location.................. 56 General Behavior of the F l o c k ............... 56 Daily Flock Development and Break-up............ 60 Roosting........ .. ............ .......... 65 Interspecific Association Within Junco Flocks . 66 Junco Flock Composition and Seasonal Movement . 69 Composition of Other Junco Flocks ........ 71 Sex Ratio of Mexican Juncos in the Flock .... 72 Size of F l o c k ........................ 74 Cover and Entry to a Food S o u r c e .............. 77 Individual Distance ...................... 81 Discussion of Winter Flocking . .............. 89 HIERARCHY ......................... 94 Type of H i e r a r c h y ............................. 94 Relation of Size to R a n k .................... 98 Changes in Rank from 1970-71 to 1971-72 ..... 100 Hierarchy Position of Territorial Males and F e m a l e s ....................... 102 Dominance Reversals Between Males Having Adjacent Summer Territories ............... 104 Rank and Time Spent with F l o c k .............. .. 105 Role of Age in Determining Dominance.......... 109 Prior Occupancy and D o m i n a n c e .................. Ill Rank and Body F a t ........................... 112 Rank and Non-locomotor Aggressive Behaviors . 114 Transient Juncos ....................... .. 115 Rank and Entry into a Feeding A r e a ........ .. 118 Rank and Feeding P o s i t i o n ............ .. 120 Position of Other Junco Species Within the Hierarchy ............... ................ .. 123 Discussion of H i e r a r c h y ....................... 126 Vi TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued Page REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR........................ 129 Courtship and Pair Bond R e l a t i o n s h i p .............129 Singing ..................... .. 129 Advertisement and Courtship........ .. 130 Pair Bond Maintenance ............ 132 Copulation ..................................134- Desertion ........................... .. 136 Discussion of Courtship and Pair Bond Relationship ................................. 136 Territory........ .............................. 140 Reproductive Fighting.......................1 40 Description of the Territory .............. 142 Territorial Size C h a n g e s .......... .. 142 Nesting Behaviors ............................... 146 Time of Nesting . ............... .. 146 Nest Site Selection.........................147 Nest-building ............................... 150 I n c u b a t i o n ........................... .. 151 Care of Nestlings ........................... 152 Nest Disturbance . ......................... 155 Care of Fledglings ......................... 155 Nesting Success ................. ............ 156 Nests per S e a s o n .......... ................ 156 Discussion of Territory and Nesting Behaviors . 158 Seasonal Movements ............... 162 CONCLUSION .............. 166 REFERENCES C I T E D .................. 172 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 . A. Head-toward and the initial posture in Run-chase B. Running posture during Run-chase C. Stopping posture at the end of Run-chase ....... .......... 26 2. Head-forward-tail-up ..... ............. 28 3. Face-to-face-bob.......... 29 4. Face-to-face-flight..................... 31 5. A. Normal position B. Crest-up with the feathers sleeked C. Crest-up with the feathers fluffed ......................... 35 6. 1970-71 winter flock size correlated with temperature................. ............. 54 7. 1971-72 winter flock size correlated with temperature............................... 55 8. Map of Upper Bear Canyon Picnic Area . 58 9. Time and light intensity at departure of last junco from Upper Bear Canyon Picnic Area in evening ........................... 63 10. Feeding plot with associated cover ........... 78 11. Average daily temperatures and 50^ conflict distances for 1970-71 ..................... 83 12. Average daily temperatures and 50^ conflict distances for 1971-72 .............. .. ; . 84 13. Correlation of 50^ conflict distances and temperatures for the winter of 1971-72 . 86 14. Percent of conflict correlated to temperature when distance is held constant at 35 cm for the winter, 1971-72 .......... 88 vli viil LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 15. Win-loss records on the hierarchy scale for the Upper Bear Canyon flock, 1970-1971 l . 96 16. Win-loss records