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Amplitude modulation of sexy phrases is salient for song attractiveness in female canaries (Serinus canaria)

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Abstract

Song discrimination and recognition in songbird species have usually been studied by measuring responses to song playbacks. In female canaries, Serinus canaria, copulation solicitation displays (CSDs) are used as an index of female preferences, which are related to song recognition. Despite the fact that many studies underline the role of song syntax in this species, we observed that short segments of songs (a few seconds long) are enough for females to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific songs, whereas such a short duration is not sufficient to identify the syntax rules. This suggests that other cues are salient for song recognition. In this experiment, we investigated the influence of amplitude modulation (AM) on the responses (CSDs) of female canaries to song playbacks. We used two groups of females: (1) raised in acoustic isolation and (2) raised in normal conditions. When adult, we tested their preferences for sexy phrases with different AMs. We broadcast three types of stimuli: (1) songs with natural canary AM, (2) songs with AM removed, or (3) song with wren Troglodytes troglodytes AM. Results indicate that female canaries prefer and have predispositions for a song type with the natural canary AM. Thus, this acoustic parameter is a salient cue for song attractiveness.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Marie Monbureau and Fabien Vernat for English corrections, Colette Desaleux for taking care of the birds, and three anonymous referees for the constructive criticism of a previous version of this paper. We also thank “La chancellerie des Universités de Paris” for funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Ethologie et Cognition Comparées, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, BSL, 200 avenue de la République, 92000, Nanterre, France

    Magali Pasteau, Davy Ung & Michel Kreutzer

  2. Université Paris-Sud, CNPS, CNRS 8195, Communications Acoustiques, Bat 446, 91405, Orsay cedex, France

    Thierry Aubin

Authors
  1. Magali Pasteau
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  2. Davy Ung
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  3. Michel Kreutzer
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  4. Thierry Aubin
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Correspondence to Davy Ung.

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Pasteau, M., Ung, D., Kreutzer, M. et al. Amplitude modulation of sexy phrases is salient for song attractiveness in female canaries (Serinus canaria). Anim Cogn 15, 639–645 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-012-0492-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-012-0492-z

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