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Effect of a dummy on behaviour of Yellowhammer and Chiffchaff males in playback experiments
Kubátová, Hana ; Petrusková, Tereza (advisor) ; Veselý, Petr (referee)
A playback experiment in which a recording of vocalization is played to the tested subject and its response is observed, is a widely used tool for examining bird song and its functions. Most often only acoustic stimulus is used, but sometimes a visual stimulus is also provided in the form of a dummy. Taxidermic mounts or models made from different materials are used as the dummy. It is discussed among researchers, whether it is or is not necessary to use a dummy in experiments and how does its presence affect behavior of the tested individuals. However, only few studies directly focus on this issue and test the effect of dummies. The best way to test the effects of a dummy on passerines in playback experiments is to test the same individuals in both situations (with a dummy and without a dummy) and compare the reactions. The aim of this theses was to perform such experiments on Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) and Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) males and to find out whether they would behave similarly in both variants of the experiment, or if their reaction would be enhanced in the presence of a dummy. Chiffchaffs reacted significantly more aggressively in the dummy experiment. The biggest difference was time spent by attacking the dummy and staying close to it. In Yellowhammers, the dummy...
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Effect of a dummy on passerine behaviour in playback experiments
Kubátová, Hana ; Petrusková, Tereza (advisor) ; Linhart, Pavel (referee)
Playback experiment is a frequently used method for the scientific research of the bird song and its functions. A recording of vocalization is played in the territory of the tested male, and its responses are observed. Majority of the studies using playback recordings presents only the acoustic stimulus. Sometimes a dummy is also used to provide a visual stimulus. This review focuses on the effects of the dummy on the passerine behavior in the playback experiments. In the first part a comparison is made within the groups of experiments with the same field of interest. The main questions are: how often is a dummy used in these types of experiments, how do designs and results differ depending on its presence/absence and, if possible, how do researchers evaluate its use. Subsequently, I tried to compare experiments with and without dummy within same species, but because of the differences of the experimental designs and the differences in forms of presentation the results, which were often not comparable, it was difficult to make clear conclusions. Next part analyses the few available studies where both trials with and without a dummy were performed on the same individuals. The review shows that the dummy allows tested males to express additional behavioural patterns, which can be noted by the...
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