While female mimicry and lower status signaling hypotheses of delayed plumage maturation have received much discussion in the literature, the experimental tests of these hypotheses have been infrequent. Those experimental tests often use a simulated intruder method with artificial model intruders rather than using live conspecific birds as intruders. Subadult male painted buntings (Passerina ciris) possess delayed plumage maturation where they appear visually identical to adult females during their first potential breeding season, while adult males are strikingly different in plumage coloration. Here I test the behavioral responses in a territorial population of painted buntings that exhibits extreme delayed plumage maturation using a simulated territorial intrusion experiment to measure territorial male behavioral response when presented with live caged intruders of both subadult and adult males. Territorial adult males were significantly more likely to initiate an attack and continue to attack caged adult male intruders than compared to caged subadult male intruders. This result supports both the female mimicry and status signaling hypotheses, and does not support the cryptic hypothesis. Additionally, in anecdotal observations, territorial males occasionally performed mating display behaviors to caged subadult male intruders. These results further suggest that territorial male painted buntings may identify subadult males as potential mates, supporting the female mimicry hypothesis for subadult males in this species. To what degree subadult males may benefit from DPM deserves further study.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc1808360 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Gurley, Christine E |
| Contributors | Johnson, Jeff A., Bednarz, James C, Dunn, Peter O |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | v, 32 pages, Text |
| Rights | Public, Gurley, Christine E, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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