Territorial Defense Strategies in the Northern Cardinal (<i>Cardinalis cardinalis</i>): Who is the Bigger Threat?

<p>This thesis examines the use of defensive strategies in relation to territories year round in the northern cardinal (<em>Cardinalis cardinalis</em>). Responses to recorded neighbor song and stranger song playback from the middle of a focal male’s territory were measured. This allowed for an estimation of aggression in both the winter and spring seasons. Each focal male was subjected to both treatments (stranger song and neighbor song). Males were more responsive over-all to neighbor song playback, however in the winter months, persistence of response to neighbor song playback increased. It was also shown that southeastern United States cardinals show year-round territory occupancy and more importantly the tendency to defend that territory during the entire year. Blood collected from a small number of birds during a neighbor STI trial shows that circulating testosterone does not significantly change from baselines or birds being challenged with a strange song playback.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• Gentry, Kaylee M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Frank Moore
• Jodie Jawor
• David Echevarria

• avian
• bird
• biology
• testosterone
• territoriality
• cardinals
• dear enemy
• northern cardinal
• defense
• simulated territory intrusion
• Animal Sciences
• Animal Studies
• Behavior and Ethology
• Ornithology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/161

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-1174