Kin Recognition in Birds

Birds are unique in primarily using vocalizations rather than odor in kin recognition. It was thought for many years that birds were unlikely to have the variability in song necessary for discrimination at the level needed to recognize kin, but Beecher led the way in showing that at least some species of birds can do exactly this. A recent example of this type of kin recognition mechanism is given by Price et al. (1999).

Price found that the wren's WAY calls are learned from older male relatives and are specific to patrilineal families. "Males either remain as helpers to inherit the breeding position in their natal group or, less often, disperse to breed outside the natal territory...The males of a particular group, therefore, are normally members of a single paternal line that occupies the same location for generations" **(Figures 1 and 3 from Price)** "Stripe backed wrens responded differently to WAY calls recorded from male kin and nonkin in other groups, which suggests that these vocalizations could be used for recognizing unfamiliar male relatives. Female wrens also have large repertoires of WAY calls..."

Another study on the same subject is Palestis and Burger (1999). This study is interesting in that it suggests a visual as well as an auditory component of recognition.

Beecher, M. D. 1990. The evolution of parent-offspring recognition in swallows. In: Contemporary issues in Comparative Psychology (D. A. Dewsbury, ed) pp. 360-380. Sinauer.

Palestis, B.G. and J. Burger. 1999. Individual sibling recognition in experimental broods of common tern chicks. Anim. Behav. 58:375-381

Price, J. L. 1999. Recognition of family-specific calls in stripe-backed wrens. Anim. Behav. 57:483-492

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copyright ©2002 Michael D. Breed, all rights reserved