Male birds that are able to precisely repeat song notes stand the best chance of attracting a female mate, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.
Male birds that are able to precisely repeat song notes stand the best chance of attracting a female mate, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.
However, the males need to ensure they have a selection of different songs in their repertoire if they are to hold a female’s attention and prevent her from getting bored.
The findings from the study, by scientists from Lancaster University and Manchester Metropolitan University, sheds new light on the evolution of bird song.
Over two years, the researchers recorded and analyzed 7,000 songs of wild blue tits breeding in closely monitored nest boxes near Lancaster University. They devised an experiment that involved playing song recordings to receptive females, and discovered that male vocal consistency—repeating the same pattern of notes with high precision—was the key song feature that made females sexually excited.
But while singing exact copies of the same note was sexy, it also became “boring” for females. Their response gradually declined (habituated) until it was reignited when males switched to a different song type.
The results may explain why birdsong in most species is not hypervariable and constantly changing but shows some moderate variation—balancing the reliable signal of quality against the need to avoid the female habituating and losing interest.
