The song structure and repertoire size of Daurian Redstarts (Phoenicurus auroreus) in South Korea

Abstract

The song repertoire across avian species varies considerably in size, and reliable measurement is important in defining itssignificance as a target in sexual selection. In this study, the song structure and song repertoire size of the Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurusauroreus) in South Korea were investigated. The songs had major syllable variation rather than song type variation. The average songrepertoire size from 20 males was 39.9 ± 5.8 (range: 28–50), based on a syllable type that was appropriate for this species. The songswere structured with three distinguishable parts, where song syllables varied most in the syllable part, and new syllable additions wererelatively limited in the whistle and subsyllable parts. Furthermore, new syllables were gradually reduced with an increasing numberof males, potentially due to the existence of core syllables in the songs. Our results suggest an individual identity cue may exist in thesyllable part of the song and that the less variable whistles within and between individuals may play a role in forming a local dialect.Thus, further research on syllable similarity is needed to find song variations among individuals over greater geographic distances.