Rate of Occurrence and Complexity of Interspecific and Intraspecific Vocal Mimicry in European Starlings
Author: Valentine Wright
Faculty Supervisor: Jaime Chaves
Department: Biology
The functions of vocal mimicry in birds, specifically in European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), has been widely studied. Some previous hypotheses suggest intraspecific roles for mimicry, like sexual selection, while others favor interspecific functions. Less studied, however, is the variation in complexity of mimicked song structure when observed in a population (of the same species) vs. in a community (of multiple species), as well as the correlation between abundance of (different or same) species in the environment vs tendency for mimicry. To test when and how these vocalizations are used and to better understand how heterospecific imitations in song vary in individuals of different mixed-species flocks, I conducted an analysis of mimicry distribution and quality using recordings, observations, and citizen science data of wild starlings observed in San Francisco. This study will allow for further understanding of how the rate and complexity of mimicked song structure differs in inter- and intraspecific communication, and why Sturnus vulgaris communicates in this way. It highlights the importance of further study of this subject with different mimicking birds.