Investigating the role of vocal performance in territorial defense in Bachman’s Sparrows (Peucaea aestivalis)

AOS Research Grant Seminar

Presenter: Lauren Dawson-Scully, Ph.D. student, Florida Atlantic University; 2025 AOS Margaret Morse Nice Research Grant winner

Vocal performance functions as a meaningful index signal in many songbird species, but its role in territorial interactions remains unclear in Bachman’s Sparrows. This study uses a field playback experiment to test how Bachman’s Sparrow males respond, both behaviorally and vocally, to rivals varying in vocal performance. Since Bachman’s sparrows have a very large and complex song repertoire, these results offer valuable insight for how vocal performance operates during competitive interactions in more elaborate vocal systems.