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University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 A Xerox Education Company 73-4939 CONANT, Sheila, 1945- VISUAL AND ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION IN THE BLUE JAY, Cyàriocittà cristata (Aves, Corvidae). The University of Oklahoma, Ph.D., 1972 Zoology University Microfilms, A XEROKCompany, Ann Arbor, Michigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE VISUAL AND ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION IN THE BLUE JAY, Cyanocitta cristata (Aves, Corvidae) A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY SHEILA CONANT Norman, Oklahoma 1972 VISUAL AND ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION IN THE BLUE JAY, Cyanocitta cristata (Aves, Corvidae) APPROVED BY DISSERTATION COMMITTEE PLEASE NOTE; Some pages may have indistinct print. Filmed as received. University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Charles C. Carpenter for his guidance and encouragement throughout the project, and for providing space and equipment for me in his laboratory. Thanks are also due to my committee members Drs. Harley P. Brown, Gary D. Schnell and Paul G. Risser for reading and criticizing this manuscript. My graduate work at the University of Oklahoma has been supported by a National Science Foundation Traineeship awarded to me by the Department of Zoology. Mrs. Marjorie Bradley, Assistant to the Dean of the Graduate College, has been most helpful in administering the research funds from the traineeship. Friends too numerous to name have been helpful with many different parts of the project. I am especially indebted to 25 patient, colorful, and endearing Blue Jays that were most cooperative research sub­ je c ts . I l l TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................... i ü LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................... v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS........................................................................... v i Chapter I . INTRODUCTION........................................................................... 1 I I . MATERIALS AND METHODS........................................................... 3 Acquisition and Maintenance of Birds................... 3 Observation—Methods and Equipment.......................... ^ III. VISUAL DISPLAYS AND POSTURES......................................... 6 Introduction........................................................................... 6 Components of Visual Signals...................................... 6 Postures and Displays .................................................... 9 IV. VOCALIZATIONS.......................................................................... 65 Introduction........................................................................... 65 Vocalization Parameters .................................................. 65 Vocalizations ...................................................................... 67 V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS.............................................. 1^0 Origin and Significance of Postures and D isp la y s.................................................................................... 140 Structure, Function and Evolution of Acoustic Signals.................................................................. 1^6 VI. SUMMARY......................................................................................... 156 LITERATURE CITED.................................................................................... 159 APPENDIX....................................................................................................... 163 iv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 . Per cent of selected vocalizations given with each of the three simple bobbing types ...................... 38 2. Physical characteristics of calls in the harmonic spectra group ......................................................... 110 3. Postures and functions associated with calls in the harmonic spectra group .................................... 112 h. Physical characteristics of the pumphandle c a l l s .............................................................................................. 122 5. Postures and functions associated with the pumphandle calls ....................................................................... 123 6. Physical characteristics of the click calls . 136 7. Postures and functions associated with the click calls ................................................................................ 138 v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 . Neutral posture .................................................... 12 2. Sleeping ............................................................................................... 1^ 3 . Heat conserving posture ............................................................ I 6 k-. Investigatory posture ................................................. 19 5. Mild aggression ............................................................................. 22 6 . Intense aggression ..................................................................... 25 7 . The a g g r essiv e en co u n ter....................................................... 27 8. F ig h tin g ............................................................................................ 30 9. Simple bobbing ............................................................................... 3^ 10. Courtship bobbing ......................................................... ^1 11. Courtship bobbing ........................................................................ ^3 12. Courtship bobbing ........................................................................ 4-5 13 . Avoidance posture ........................................................................ 4-7 14. The n e s tlin g alarm f r e e z e ................................................... 50 15. Appeasement posture ................................................................. 53 16 . Courtship feeding solicitation.............................................. 56 17* Courtship feed in g ......................................................................... 59 18. Precopulatory display and copulatory position . .63 19* The D istr e ss C all (DC)............................................................ 71 v i Figure Page 20. The Alarm C all (AC)................................................................ 7*+ 21. The Flock Contact Call (FC) ............................................. 77 22. The number of Flock Contact Calls per hour throughout the year ............................................................. 79 23 . The Flock Contact Call of young Blue Jays (YFC). 82 2^-. The Food-begging Call of young Blue Jays, Type 1 (YFB1)........................................................................... 85 2 5. The Food-begging Call of young Blue Jays, Type 2(YFB2) ........................................................................... 87 26. The Food-begging Call of young Blue Jays, Type 3 (YFB3)............................................................................ 90 2 7. The Food-begging Call of young Blue Jays, Type 4 (YFB^-)............................................................................ 93 2 8. The Begging Keu C all (BK) ................................................. 96 29. The Soft Keu C all ( S K ) ...................................................... 98 3 0 . The Loud Keu C all (L K ) ...................................................... 101 31 . The Crow C all ( C C )...............................................................