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VOCALIZATIONS, SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE TWITE ACANTHUS FLAVIROSTRIS
Author(s) -
Marler P.,
Mundinger P. C.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.1975.tb04186.x
Subject(s) - nest (protein structural motif) , biology , zoology , repertoire , ecology , biochemistry , acoustics , physics
Summary A seven‐week study of breeding Twites at the mouth of the Trondheim fjord revealed that they are double brooded. The second clutch is started while the first nestlings are still dependent on both parents. Males defend a moving area around the female which becomes focused on the nest during incubation. Adult vocalizations recorded and analysed fall into seven basic categories. We believe this represents the entire repertoire, which is rather small, and may correlate with the visually open habitat. Nine measures of the tup‐up‐up flight call reveal that calls of a male and female that are paired match closely and differ from those of other birds in the area. This is taken as evidence that the Twite flight call is modifiable by learning, as in some other cardueline finches.