Ryukyu scops owl exhibits strong vocal responses to copulation calls produced by nonpartner individuals
Abstract
Vocalizations made during copulation (copulation calls) are a widespread behaviour among mammals and birds. The function of copulation calls has been little studied, although it has been suggested that they serve as complex communication between partner individuals and even between nonpartner individuals. Functions such as territorial signalling and intersexual attraction have been proposed for copulation calls. We examined the function of copulation calls by investigating how wild Ryukyu scops owl, Otus elegans, respond vocally to recordings of copulation calls given by nonpartner individuals. This is the first avian study examining sexual differences in responses to copulation calls. Playback experiments indicated that both male and female individuals of established pairs responded more strongly to playback of sounds including copulation calls than to playback of sounds without copulation calls. The rate of change in the onset of vocal response was ……
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Article inforamation
Naoki Kanasugi, Akira Sawada, Haruka Nakamura, Ryuta Sasaki, Junpei Hosoe, Masaoki Takagi, Ryukyu scops owl exhibits strong vocal responses to copulation calls produced by nonpartner individuals,
Animal Behaviour, Volume 240, 2026
DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2026.123682
