Journal
ACTA ETHOLOGICA
Volume 13, Issue 2, Pages 69-74Publisher
SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
DOI: 10.1007/s10211-010-0072-7
Keywords
Alarm vocalisations; Malurus cyaneus; Parental care; Predation; Risk assessment; Nest defence
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Funding
- Australian Research Council
- Department for Environment and Heritage
- Sir Mark Mitchell Foundation
- Nature Foundation SA Inc
- Holsworth Foundation
- Biological Society of South Australia
- South Australia Museum, Adelaide
- Centre for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviour, Macquarie University
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Nest predation accounts for the majority of nesting failure, and hence there has been strong selection on behaviour to reduce nest predation, including patterns of nest defence. Here, we test risk-taking behaviour to experimentally placed predators in the presence or absence of nestlings. We use the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) to test the prediction that vigilance will be comparable with and without nestlings, but that alarm vocalisations will increase when nestlings are present. We found support for both predictions. Adult vigilance of predators was comparable with and without nestlings. Alarm vocalisation intensity was predicted by predator type and nestling presence, and was highest to the snake model in the presence of nestlings. These results point to selection for differentiated nest defence response in relation to predator type and the presence or absence of nestlings.
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