Acoustic signalling of hunger and thermal state by nestling tree swallows

Article Abstract:

A new study investigates the use of begging displays by nestling tree swallows seeking food and warmth from their parents and notes the changes in begging calls during short periods of food and warmth deprivation.

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False alarms and begging in nestling birds

Article Abstract:

An investigation to determine whether tree swallows commit false alarms by begging to the sound made when a common grackle, Quiscalis quiscala, a potential nest predator of tree swallows lands at the nest is presented. Nestlings increased the rate and intensity of their begging responses to both swallow and grackle stimulus sounds as time without food increased, although responses to the grackle sounds are always less than to the swallow sounds.

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Parent-offspring recognition in tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor

Article Abstract:

Research into parent-offspring recognition in the tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, indicates that older nestlings recognize their own parents. There was lower variation in tree swallow nestling calls than in analogous calls in the bank swallow. It was found that nestling tree swallows have an information capacity of 3.34 bits, or 3.20 bits when variable intercorrelations are eliminated using principal components analysis. There was found to be lower sibling-sibling similarity in tree swallow nestlings than in other swallows into which research has been undertaken.

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