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Two songbird species show subordinate responses to simulated territorial intrusions of an exotic competitor

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Abstract

Interspecific competition is rarely assessed between exotic and distantly related native species, although these can compete for some ecological resources. Here, we assessed the occurrence of interspecific aggression resulting from direct competition between two European native songbird species (henceforth focal species), the robin Erithacus rubecula and the blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, which are potential competitors for feeding resources and behaviourally subordinate to the exotic red-billed leiothrix Leiothrix lutea. In central Portugal, this exotic species lives in sympatry with robins and blackcaps at least since 2007. We used interactive playbacks to measure the behavioural response of blackcaps and robins towards intrusions by leiothrix and a submissive, native competitor—great tit Parus major. The singing behaviour of both focal species was affected by leiothrix playback. Robins exhibited a longer latency to sing, and both species avoided singing near the loudspeaker after leiothrix playback compared with great tit playback, which generally suggests a subordinate behaviour. Regarding changes in song parameters during the playbacks, only the peak frequency of blackcaps was affected by the playback. We discuss different possibilities for the origin of such submissive behaviour in native species.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful for the comments and suggestions of the associate editor Mylene M. Mariette and two anonymous reviewers who contributed to improve a previous version of the manuscript. We thank the LabOr (University of Évora) and CIBIO for logistical support.

Funding

PFP was supported by a doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/87340/2012) and RL by a post-doctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/78241/2011) from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal POPH/FSE).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, LabOr – Laboratory of Ornithology, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal

    Pedro Filipe Pereira & Rui Lourenço

  2. Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), University of Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal

    Paulo Gama Mota

  3. Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal

    Paulo Gama Mota

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  1. Pedro Filipe Pereira
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  2. Rui Lourenço
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Correspondence to Pedro Filipe Pereira.

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Pereira, P.F., Lourenço, R. & Mota, P.G. Two songbird species show subordinate responses to simulated territorial intrusions of an exotic competitor. acta ethol 23, 143–154 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-020-00347-6

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