Variation in Advertisement Call Properties of the Japanese Quail

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the amount variation in four spectral and six temporal properties of advertisement calls between and within-male Japanese quail and to establish the effect of age of sexual maturation to these properties. The first, second, third syllables and damping parts were 68.2, 74.3, 501.1 and 95.9 ms long, on average, and had peak frequencies of 1719.9, 1989.9, 2203.2 and 2352.7 Hz, respectively. There was high between individual variations in all call traits. In relation to within-male variation, there were high medians and low ranges for spectral properties while low medians and high ranges for temporal properties. Moderate positive correlations between syllable lengths and age of sexual maturation, low negative correlations between interval lengths and age of sexual maturation were observed. Repeatability of the advertisement call characteristics were high, but estimates for spectral properties were slightly lower (0.66-0.82) than that for temporal properties (0.89-0.96). These results suggest that temporal call parameters have the potential to be used in individual identity and these traits might carry information used by females in mate choice. Spectral properties could be recognized as stable call properties that may be used in efficient transmission or species recognition