Wild jackdaws recognise the contact calls of their mate

Abstract

In stable social environments, the ability to recognise other group members and integrate individual cues with previous experience is likely to be beneficial in mediating social interactions. Under these conditions, selection for individual discrimination and learning of conspecific vocalisations is expected. Recognition may be particularly important in structured societies in which individuals form enduring pair bonds and coordinate biparental care. Many corvids, famed for their sophisticated cognitive abilities, form long-term pair bonds and are considered ideal subjects for investigating the cognitive mechanisms associated with pair bonding; however, evidence that corvids individually recognise their partner under natural conditions remains limited. Here, we tested whether wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula), a colonial corvid, discriminate between the contact calls of individual conspecifics. Incubating females were presented with contact call playbacks from their long-term breeding partner, a male from a neighbouring nest, and an unfamiliar male. Females were quicker to respond to the calls of their partner, providing evidence of mate recognition in corvids in the wild.