Research Symposium

BIO

Jonluca Cortese is a second-year Cell and Molecular Neuroscience and Public Health student. In the future, Jonluca aims to focus on patient care as a physician and to make meaningful contributions to research.

Temporal Variation in Lance-Tailed Manakin Practice Displays and Their Effect on Displays for Females

Abstract

Courtship displays in birds are complex examples of communication and reproductive selection in the animal kingdom. Exploring variation in practice courtship displays in the lance-tailed manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata) can shed light on how species cooperate and how they allocate energy throughout the day. Males display in pairs to attract and court females. Even though the males form competitive alliances, only the alpha of the pair copulates if the display succeeds. These displays also occur without females present, both in pairs and alone. In this study, we examined whether displays without females present (DNFs) can predict displays with females present (DFF) and whether the time of day influences the frequency of DNFs. After analyzing behavioral recordings during the breeding season, it was found that displays without females were significantly more frequent in the morning (06:00 to 12:00) than in the afternoon (12:00 to 18:00). Displays without females were not a significant predictor of displays involving females. The first set of results is consistent with the idea that manakins experience higher energy levels in the morning, resulting in increased display frequency. Female manakins may have different activity periods, meaning that males use DNFs as practice displays when females are not actively surveying males in the morning. The second set of data can be explained by the fact that manakins have limited energy; the males would have to sacrifice extensive amounts of energy for an increased number of DNFs, leaving less energy for DFFs later in the day.

Keywords: Courtship, Display, Manakin