Psychology, Department of
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
2005
Abstract
Birds with songs having two or more acoustically distinct elements can arrange them either rigidly (i.e., in the same sequence) or flexibly. Flexible song syntax can be achieved either by varying the number of repetitions of elements or by combining elements in different ways. Combinatorial syntax has been documented only in the songs of oscine passerines and in one nonpasserine, but not in the suboscine passerines. Dawn and day songs of a tyrant flycatcher, the Flammulated Attila (Attila flammulatus), were recorded in Costa Rica. Flexible syntax was noted in both dawn and day song. Attilas not only varied the number of repetitions of their song elements but also combined elements in various ways. This appears to be the first reported case of combinatorial song syntax in a suboscine species.
Las aves canoras que poseen dos o más elementos acústicos distintivos pueden acomodarlos ya sea de modo rígido (i.e., en la misma secuencia) o de modo flexible. La sintaxis flexible de cantos puede alcanzarse ya sea variando el número de repeticiones de los elementos o combinando los elementos de diferentes modos. La sintaxis combinatoria ha sido documentada sólo en los cantos de paserinos oscines y en un ave no paserina, pero no en paserinos suboscines. Los cantos del amanecer y diurnos de un tiránido atrapamoscas, Attila flammulatus, fueron registrados en Costa Rica. Encontramos evidencia de sintaxis flexible en cantos del amanecer y diurnos. A. flammulatus no sólo varió el número de repeticiones de su canto, sino que también combinó elementos de varios modos. Este parece ser el primer registro de sintaxis canora combinatoria en una especie suboscine.
Comments
Published in The Condor 107:765–774. Copyright The Cooper Ornithological Society 2005; published by University of California Press. Used by permission.