Hi all,
Several years ago I was on a property west of Wagga Wagga and my attention was drawn to two magpies screaming in a small eucalypt. A closer view revealed a lace monitor about 3 metres up the tree (I don’t know if the magpies had a nest there, the foliage was sparse but I could not see one).
What suprised me, though, was that the magpie’s alarm calls quickly drew 5 birds of 3 different species (white-browed babbler, magpie lark, crested pigeon) who all joined in hurling abuse at the monitor.
Were the magpie’s alarm calls an example of a ‘common threat warning’ shared by the different species?
Regards
Ralph Reid
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
This is not quite what Ralph Reid was referring to when he asked (Oct 15) “Were the magpie’s alarm calls an example of a ‘common threat warning’ shared by the different species?”. He had two magpies screaming in a small eucalypt.
However, it does refer to similarity of alarm calls in a number of species, and may be of some interest.
In “Bird Song – Biological themes and variations” by C. K. Catchpole & P. J. B. Slater, Cambridge University Press, (at page 88 in my 1995 copy) under the sub-heading of “Localisation of bird calls”, the authors write:
“These various possibilities for auditory localisation were first discussed in relation to bird sounds by Marler (1955). He suggested that the ‘seeep’, an alarm call produced in almost identical form by a variety of European passerines (see Fig. 4.7) had converged on that form in different species because it was ideal to avoid localisation. Producing a call in the presence of a predator such as a hawk is a risky business, and selection might be expected to minimise that risk.”
I think that (unfortunately) I cannot reproduce that Fig. 4.7 in this posting. It shows audiographs of the alarm calls of the Reed Bunting, Blackbird, Great tit, Blue tit and Chaffinch. They are all remarkably similar, and it is reasonable to expect that an alarm call from any one of them would be recognised by all of them as indicating an alarm situation.
Cheers
Syd
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
I observed this at Byron Bay several years ago (and reported here) when Noisy Miners and Grey Butcherbirds were alarming over a taipan. The calls sounded like the same words pronounced with slightly different accents. I guess it makes sense that bird species that are often in close company would learn each other’s ‘language’, as this would have survival value for them. Paul Osborn
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
I can’t imagine a Crested Pigeon “hurling abuse” at anything, let alone a monitor. It doesn’t strike me as a mobbing species.
Has anyone else seen this?
We have them here, but not monitors. They certainly don’t join in the mobbing of raptors, but that would be a much more dangerous activity for a pigeon.
Peter Shute
I know that in Europe, several unrelated species will have the same high-pitched ‘tseeeep’ call to alert other species to predators. In evolutionary terms, it makes a lot of sense to have common alarm calls as it greatly increases the number of birds that can give a warning, thus increasing the chance of survival of each bird that can understand it. Cheers,
Tony
Ralph, The same behaviour seen while camping on the upper Noosa River Qld several years ago. The Magpies attracted a Sacred Kingfisher which swooped the Monitor. In the swoop the Kingfisher hit the side of the tent & was taken by the Monitor on the rebound & all trace disappeared within about 15 seconds.
Chris Charles 0412 911 184 licole@ozemail.com.au 33deg 47’30″S 151deg10’09″E
href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Hi Ralph,
I would say instead that birds would learn the threat calls of other species and respond to them. I guess it would be like living in a country where you don’t speak the language. You can still tell that a group of locals standing around a bush screaming means something is wrong. I’d say pishing works on the same principle, though of course not all birds respond to it in the same way. Back to your question, I would think the primary purpose of the magpies’ calls was not to attract other birds, but to let the Monitor know it had been seen and they weren’t going to let it sneak up on anything. The secondary benefit of attracting other birds to aid in harassing the monitor is no doubt also very useful.
Regards, Chris
href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) href=”mailto:birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au”>birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================