The song structure and repertoire size of Daurian Redstarts (Phoenicurus auroreus) in South Korea

Authors: JU HYUN LEE, HA CHEOL SUNG

Abstract: The song repertoire across avian species varies considerably in size, and reliable measurement is important in defining its significance as a target in sexual selection. In this study, the song structure and song repertoire size of the Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) in South Korea were investigated. The songs had major syllable variation rather than song type variation. The average song repertoire size from 20 males was 39.9 ± 5.8 (range: 28-50), based on a syllable type that was appropriate for this species. The songs were structured with three distinguishable parts, where song syllables varied most in the syllable part, and new syllable additions were relatively limited in the whistle and subsyllable parts. Furthermore, new syllables were gradually reduced with an increasing number of males, potentially due to the existence of core syllables in the songs. Our results suggest an individual identity cue may exist in the syllable part of the song and that the less variable whistles within and between individuals may play a role in forming a local dialect. Thus, further research on syllable similarity is needed to find song variations among individuals over greater geographic distances.

Keywords: Individual identity, Phoenicurus auroreus, song repertoire size, song structure, syllable type

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