Subspecies song discrimination in a mediterranean population of the reed bunting emberiza schoeniclus intermedia

Abstract

Song represents one of the possible key factors influencing the interaction among songbird populations and can affect their evolution. We studied the effect of song differences between morphologically different subspecies of the reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) on the territorial behaviour of males of the Mediterranean subspecies E. s. intermedia. Twenty males were presented with playback of different songs belonging to either their own or to the foreign subspecies, northern European E. s. schoeniclus, and their response behaviour was recorded. Both treatments elicited an aggressive approach to the loudspeaker, but the response to the foreign playback was slightly weaker. We conclude that the response of intermedia males seems close to that expected if the members of a demographically inferior subspecies need to defend resources from another, more abundant, subspecies. However, the hypothesis of song as an effective barrier between subspecies in territorial defence cannot be excluded. © 2001 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.