In&VertebratesPub Date : 2023-10-13DOI: 10.52732/trdn8657
Thomas MacGillavry, Leonida Fusani
{"title":"Sequential mountings of a possible immature male by an adult male in Victoria’s Riflebird (Ptiloris victoriae)","authors":"Thomas MacGillavry, Leonida Fusani","doi":"10.52732/trdn8657","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52732/trdn8657","url":null,"abstract":"Sexual behaviour in the Birds-of-paradise (family Paradisaeidae) is poorly understood and few studies have offered detailed descriptions of copulatory behaviours. We recorded courtship behaviours of Victoria’s Riflebird Ptiloris victoriae in the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, Australia using motion triggered cameras and report a rare case of three sequential mountings by an adult male. While the recipient of these mountings performed female-typical sexual behaviours, it also briefly performed a male courtship display behaviour, suggesting that it may be an immature male. This observation raises several questions about the courtship behaviour of this species. Females may, for instance, occasionally solicit multiple copulations from preferred males to maximize the amount of transferred sperm. Another intriguing possibility is that immature males tolerate being mounted and potentially even mimic female sexual behaviours when learning from adult male displays. We also describe a novel adult male courtship behaviour, namely ‘nape-pecking’.","PeriodicalId":487865,"journal":{"name":"In&Vertebrates","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135853807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In&VertebratesPub Date : 2023-03-09DOI: 10.52732/etpr9295
Gisela Kaplan
{"title":"Fieldwork results, anonymity, rare observations and cognition-questions of method, biases and interpretations","authors":"Gisela Kaplan","doi":"10.52732/etpr9295","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.52732/etpr9295","url":null,"abstract":"The study of birds in the natural environment largely falls into two disciplines: ecology and ethology. At this time of substantial decline of bird species and numbers, it is argued that ecology cannot do without ethology, especially cognitive ethology, if real progress of saving species is to be made. The paper is concerned with problems of methodology, partly to do with lack of familiarity with behaviour and characteristics of the species (the anonymity problem) on one hand and partly to do with an underestimation of the effects of ‘an ecology of fear'. It will raise the question of sampling bias, express concern about the use of technological gadgets that may produce large data sets but often too little of value. It is not just an argument of quantitative versus qualitative data but of distortions, oversights, and insights that are not used. Studying cognition and emotional intelligence are as important hallmarks of an animal's ability to cope in the current wildlife crisis as are knowing about migration routes. Moreover, there is little doubt that systematic discussions in ethology rarely prepare one on how to respond to unexpected or incidental behaviour and to discuss the future of ethological fieldwork and cognitive studies. Examples of rare behaviour will also be provided to show how they can be pivotal in good science when momentary surprises in witnessing unusual behaviour can lead to new insight, and then to experiments and data. The paper will suggest, however, that new insights may only be possible when a robust methodology used in field research reflects a positive, non-invasive approach.","PeriodicalId":487865,"journal":{"name":"In&Vertebrates","volume":"93 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136170731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}