Showing papers on "Territoriality published in 2018"

Property Lines in the Mind: Consumers’ Psychological Ownership and Their Territorial Responses

Abstract: Psychological ownership, or the feeling that something is mine, has garnered growing attention in marketing. While previous work focuses on the positive aspects of psychological ownership, this research draws attention to the darker side of psychological ownership—territorial behavior. Results of five experimental studies demonstrate that when consumers feel psychological ownership of a target, they are prone to perceptions of infringement and subsequent territorial responses when they infer that another individual feels ownership of the same target. Potential infringers are held less accountable when they acknowledge ownership prior to engaging in otherwise threatening behaviors, and when they could not be expected to know that a target is owned, as it was not clearly marked. In addition, high narcissists are subject to a psychological ownership metaperception bias, and are thus more apt than low narcissists to perceive infringement. A multitude of territorial responses are documented for both tangible (coffee, sweater, chair, pizza) and intangible (a design) targets of ownership. Further, consumers infer the psychological ownership of others from signals of the antecedents of psychological ownership: control, investment of self, and intimate knowledge. Theoretical implications for territoriality and psychological ownership are discussed, along with managerial implications and areas for future research.

Dear enemies or nasty neighbors? Causes and consequences of variation in the responses of group-living species to territorial intrusions

Abstract: Territorial behavior is widespread throughout the animal kingdom, with responses to conspecific intruders differing depending on various ecological, life history, and social factors. One factor which has received considerable research attention is rival identity. Early work provided many examples of species exhibiting relatively stronger responses to strangers versus neighbors (the “dear-enemy” effect) or the opposite (the “nasty-neighbor” effect). However, those studies focused predominantly on single or pair-bonded territory-holders. There is increasing evidence of neighbor–stranger response differences in group-living species (where 3 or more individuals share a territory), and of within-species variation in the relative responses shown to these 2 intruder types. Considering social species is important both because group territoriality is widespread and because group responses include the actions of multiple individuals whose interests and motivations differ. We begin our review with a summary of territoriality in group-living species. We then discuss causes of variation in territorial responses depending on intruder neighbor–stranger identity, considering both between-species differences and those within species arising from context-dependent variation and from individual group members responding differently to the same intrusion. We next detail the consequences of different territorial responses, in terms of both postinteraction behavior and individual benefits and costs. Finally, we suggest 3 key areas—theoretical modeling, hormonal mechanisms, and anthropogenic disturbances—that could be developed when considering the relative responses of territory-holders to neighbors and strangers. Since conflict is a powerful selective force, determining the causes and consequences of variation in group-territorial behavior is important for a full understanding of sociality.

Hydroterritorial Configuration and Confrontation: The Daule-Peripa Multipurpose Hydraulic Scheme in Coastal Ecuador

Abstract: There is a forceful new impetus toward mega-hydraulic projects in Latin America, which are booming but also highly controversial. They bring benefits to some social groups while many others are negatively affected. Technocratic discourses are dominant in the region; they strategically mobilize institutions, infrastructure, money, and knowledge to present particular hydrosocial territorial imaginaries—such as multipurpose dams—as natural, universal, and politically neutral. Meanwhile, affected local communities commonly envision and practice different discourses, values, and worldviews, based on contextualized notions of well-being and territoriality. Using a political ecology perspective, this article examines how the Daule-Peripa mega-hydraulic scheme—Ecuador’s “hydraulic heart”—has de- and repatterned the territory, producing new hierarchical relations and unequal distribution of socioenvironmental impacts. Though political discourses have changed throughout state-centralist and neoliberal epoques, governmental policies and practices have continued and renewed their defense of mega-hydraulism. In turn, affected communities and families, through everyday territorial politics, respond and aim to rearrange the hydrosocial network in order to regain control over water, land, and territorial services. En America Latina hay un nuevo auge de proyectos megahidraulicos que, simultaneamente es muy controversial. Estos proyectos benefician a algunos grupos sociales, mientras que muchos otros son afectados negativamente. Junto a estos, se movilizan estrategicamente instituciones, infraestructura, dinero y conocimiento con el fin de presentar a imaginarios hidro-sociales particulares como naturales y politicamente neutros. Al mismo tiempo, las comunidades afectadas practican y reproducen diferentes discursos y formas de valoracion, fundamentadas en nociones situadas de bienestar y territorialidad. Desde la ecologia politica y la literatura critica sobre neoextractivismo, este articulo muestra como el megasistema multiproposito Daule-Peripa –corazon hidraulico del Ecuador– ha transformado el territorio, involucrando nuevas relaciones jerarquicas y la distribucion inequitativa de impactos socio-ambientales. A pesar de que los discursos oficialistas han cambiado desde la epoca neoliberal, las politicas y practicas de gobierno se han renovado y continuan defendiendo y promocionando el imperativo megahidraulico durante regimenes autodenominados progresistas, como el liderado por la llamada revolucion ciudadana. Este articulo muestra la importancia de entender el auge contemporaneo de megasistemas hidraulicos como construcciones sociotecnicas desde una perspectiva repolitizada e historica.

Evidence of cultural group selection in territorial lobstering in Maine.

Abstract: Relatively little is known about how resource conservation practices and institutions emerge. We examine the historical emergence of territoriality and conservation rules in Maine's lobstering industry, using a cultural evolutionary perspective. Cultural evolution suggests that cultural adaptations such as practices and institutions arise as a result of evolutionary selection pressure. The cultural multilevel selection framework of Waring et al. (Ecol Soc, 2015) further proposes that group cultural adaptations tend to emerge at a level of social organization corresponding to the underlying dilemma. Drawing on detailed history and ethnography, we conduct a retrospective assessment to determine which levels of social organization experienced selection pressures that might explain the emergence of lobstering territoriality and conservation practices we observe in history. The evidence strongly suggests that informal territoriality evolved by selection on harbor gang behavior, while some conservation practices spread via selection at other levels from individuals to regional lobstering zones. We identify two apparent historical shifts in the dominant level of selection for these practices over the history of the industry and discuss the implications of this trajectory for the evolution of lobster management in the Gulf of Maine.

Translating Global Nature: Territoriality, Environmental Discourses, and Ecocultural Identities

Abstract: In this study, I explore environmental discourses circulating among Indigenous transboundary organizations working on environmental initiatives at the border between Ecuador and Colombia. I focus on three global environmental discourses –sustainability, development, and climate change– as they are at the core of the global environmental governance vernacular. La Gran Familia Awá Binacional (GFAB), one of the few transboundary Indigenous organizations working along the binational border, utilizes these global concepts to frame their environmental initiatives and projects. I use a critical and interpretive qualitative approach to investigate, deconstruct, and rearticulate global environmental discourses circulating among and translated by two of the organizations forming the GFAB: Federación de Centros Awá del Ecuador (FCAE) and Unidad Indígena del Pueblo Awá (UNIPA) from Colombia. I conducted in-depth interviews with cultural and political elites working in, or related to, these Awá organizations. I analyze interview texts, Awá organizations’ community-based plans, official government documents, and NGOs reports to understand (1) How does the GFAB understand, construct, and reproduce their relationships with their territories?; (2) How does the GFAB translate the global environmental discourses TRANSLATING GLOBAL NATURE viii of development, sustainability, and climate change at the level of the communities with which this organization works?; and (3) What are the politics of identity, ecocultural identities and positionings, that emerge from Awá’s translation of and engagement with development, sustainability, and climate change within Awá’s territoriality? To answer these questions, I investigate how transboundary Indigenous communities construct a sense of territory, navigate global environmental discourses, and negotiate multiple ecocultural identities. I describe the articulations among relationships and principles that configure Awá’s territoriality. Then, I situate the notion of translation in relation to Awá’s territory, katza su, to explore the system of meanings implicated in Awá’s translation of the global environmental discourses of development, sustainability, and climate change. I illustrate how Awá recontextualize and emplace these discourses once they enter the material and discursive realm of Awá’s territoriality. Finally, I further the notion of territory and territoriality to investigate the formation of Awá, mestizos, and Afros’ ecocultural identities. I illustrate how two dialectics, insider-outsider and respectdisrespect, work in the discursive positioning of these populations as restorative or unwholesome ecocultural identities. In closing, I propose a rhizomatic situational analysis framework to map factors, forces, and processes, and demonstrate its applicability by presenting a situational analysis of the Awá binational Indigenous people. The rhizome illuminates Awá’s translation of development, sustainability, and climate change, and the ecocultural identities that emerge through processes of translation. I end with some recommendations to rethink identity-based mediation in environmental conflicts, explore transversal forms of communication, agency, and dissent, and further processes of environmental peacebuilding at the border between Ecuador and Colombia. TRANSLATING GLOBAL NATURE ix Table of

Sacred Landscapes and the Territoriality of Iron Age Cypriot Polities: The Applicability of GIS

Abstract: This article contributes to the ongoing debate on the relationship between sanctuaries and the territoriality of the Iron Age polities of Cyprus. The sanctuary site of Vavla-Kapsalaes is used as a case study to test hypotheses regarding the connection between extra-urban sacred space and the formation of political and cultural identities. A combination of archaeological and geographic data is implemented in geographic information system (GIS) analyses in order to contextualize this sanctuary in its political, economic, cultural, and symbolic landscapes. Beyond the discipline of Cypriot archaeology, this contribution is of significance to Mediterranean archaeology more broadly since it deals with landscape archaeology and the application of GIS approaches to trace both site catchments and networks. In addition, use of the concepts and approaches of landscape archaeology reveals the diachronic significance of religious sites in changing political environments in the ancient Mediterranean.

Ranging behavior and potential for territoriality in equatorial sakis (Pithecia aequatorialis) in Amazonian Ecuador.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES Territoriality refers to the consistent defense of an area within the home range (HR) against intrusions of conspecifics. It implies exclusive space use with low degree of overlap among neighboring groups, high site fidelity, specific ranging behavior such as high mobility relative to HR size and frequent visits of territory borders, and monitoring behavior. We examined ranging behavior and use of space to evaluate territoriality in Pithecia aequatorialis in Ecuador. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 2005 and 2015, we monitored one main study group continuously and five additional groups for shorter periods (5 months to 2.5 years) at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, in eastern Ecuador. We scored the location of the study groups at 20 min intervals during, on average, 5 days per month. We estimated saki HRs and core areas (CAs) using the fixed kernel density method (95 and 50%, respectively). RESULTS The average HR size was 57 ha and the average CA 14 ha. The degree of overlap between HRs of neighboring groups was low (2-9%). For the main study group, the average overlap between annual HRs was 82%. Mean daily path length across groups was 1,151 m; the defensibility index varied between 1.1 and 2.3 (values >1 are suggestive of territoriality), and the fractional monitoring rate varied between 0.06 and 0.15 (values >0.08 are suggestive of territoriality). Groups did not visit their HR borders (100 m inner buffer) more often than would be expected by chance. Travel speed and directness were comparable between the borders and the centers of groups' HRs. DISCUSSION Our multiyear study suggests that equatorial sakis show low degree of range overlap and high site fidelity and have the potential to be territorial, given their high mobility relative to HR size that allows for frequent border monitoring. Nevertheless, their movement patterns in border areas did not reveal evidence for monitoring behavior.

Socioecological Factors Affecting Range Defensibility Among Howler Monkeys

Abstract: Range defensibility is defined as the ability of animals to efficiently move over an area to monitor and defend it. Therefore, range defensibility can help us understand the spatial structure of animal territoriality. We used howler monkeys (Alouatta spp.), a genus for which no agreement on the extent of their territoriality exists, to investigate the factors mediating range defensibility. We compared the defensibility index (D) across 63 groups of howler monkeys, representing 8 different species, based on a literature review. All species, except Alouatta palliata, were classified as potentially territorial according to D, although there was high variability within and among species. Group size had a positive effect on D, probably owing to the greater ability of groups to defend a territory as they become larger. Study area had a negative effect on D, perhaps suggesting that unlike small areas, large areas allow groups to have territories that do not require significant defense from neighbors. However, population density was the factor with the strongest effect on D, with greater monitoring of home ranges under high levels of competition. Our results suggest that howler monkeys are theoretically capable of maintaining a territory and suggest that animals can show a gradient in territoriality, which can be mediated by the competitive context in which it occurs.

Territory, tenure, and territoriality among the ancestral Coast Salish of SW British Columbia and NW Washington State

Abstract: Eleven obsidian artifacts submitted for energy dispersive X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis attribute to three known sources. The samples were prepared and analyzed at the Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC. The obsidian artifacts match the elemental composition of flows at Anahim Peak, Unknown Central Coast B of British Columbia and Obsidian Cliff in Oregon.

A case for anole territoriality

Abstract: Kamath and Losos (Behav Ecol Sociobiol 71:89, 2017) address a contradiction in studies of anole lizards: the mismatch between behavioral studies classifying anoles as polygynous and modern genetic data indicating that females frequently have multiple mates. These authors argue that this mismatch comes from a historic trend in anole biology to cite poorly supported evidence of anole social behaviors (particularly territoriality) and to underemphasize observations deviating from polygyny. While we agree there is more variation in anole spatial patterns and mating behaviors than is commonly acknowledged in the literature, we feel that the authors’ main conclusion that the study of anole territoriality has been largely based on untested assumptions is overstated. Although early studies are often limited by the different scientific norms of their times, the study of anole spatial behavior has been based on a consistent and well-supported view of territoriality.

Insights on dispersal and recruitment paradigms: sex- and age-dependent variations in a nomadic breeder.

Abstract: Sex- and age-dependence in recruitment and dispersal are often explained by costs arising from competition for holding a breeding territory over the years—a typical feature of species living in stable habitats. For instance, long-lived birds with male territoriality often exhibit large variation in recruitment age and higher dispersal in females and young individuals. As a corollary, we expected that species with ephemeral habitat suitability, and hence nomadic breeding, would show weak age- and sex-dependence in dispersal and low variation in recruitment age, because territory ownership is not maintained over the years. In addition, the higher cost of reproduction in females might not be (over)compensated for by costs of territoriality in males. Accordingly, females would recruit later than males. We explored these variations using multievent capture–recapture models over 13 years, 3479 (2392 sexed) slender-billed gulls (Chroicocephalus genei) and 45 colony sites along the French Mediterranean coast. As expected, variability in recruitment age was low with males recruiting earlier than females. Nonetheless, dispersal in and out of the study area decreased with age and was slightly higher in males than in females. Decreased dispersal with age might result from foraging benefits associated with increased spatial familiarity. Higher dispersal in males might be explained by a male-biased sex ratio or higher philopatry benefits in females (arising from their higher cost of reproduction). Sex- and age-dependent dispersal and recruitment may thus occur in the absence of year-to-year breeding territory ownership, which stresses the importance of considering other processes in shaping recruitment and dispersal patterns.

Development of Meaningful Vocal Signals in a Juvenile Territorial Songbird (Gymnorhina tibicen) and the Dilemma of Vocal Taboos Concerning Neighbours and Strangers.

Abstract: Young territorial songbirds have calls to learn, especially calls that may be vital for maintaining territory. Territoriality is largely reinforced and communicated by vocal signals. In their natal territory, juvenile magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) enjoy protection from predators for 8–9 months. It is not at all clear, however, when and how a young territorial songbird learns to distinguish the meaning of calls and songs expressed by parents, conspecifics, neighbours, and heterospecifics, or how territorial calls are incorporated into the juvenile’s own repertoire. This project investigated acquisition and expression of the vocal repertoire in juvenile magpies and assessed the responses of adults and juveniles to playbacks of neighbour and stranger calls inside their territory. The results reported here identify age of appearance of specific vocalisations and the limits of their expression in juveniles. One new and surprising result was that many types of adult vocalisation were not voiced by juveniles. Playbacks of calls of neighbours and strangers inside the natal territory further established that adults responded strongly but differentially to neighbours versus strangers. By contrast, juveniles needed months before paying any attention to and distinguishing between neighbour and stranger calls and eventually did so only in non-vocal ways (such as referral to adults). These results provide evidence that auditory perception not only includes recognition and memory of neighbour calls but also an assessment of the importance of such calls in the context of territoriality.

Fugitive Slave Communities in Northern Brazil between 1880 and 1900: Territoriality, Resistance, and the Struggle for Autonomy

Abstract: abstract:By focusing on the case of the Gurupí River region on the border between the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Pará, this paper will argue for the importance of territoriality and geography in the strategies of fugitive slave communities both before and after abolition. Quilombo inhabitants (quilombolas) in Pará accumulated a knowledge of the land, access to gold deposits, and renowned skill in gold extraction. These assets became a valuable currency and source of political power in their dealings with political and economic actors. Such contacts were crucial for the quilombolas to maintain a certain territorial and political autonomy after abolition. The activities of quilombolas shaped the geographical and political landscape of many rural communities in Brazil well after the abolition of slavery, and they continued to challenge extractive capitalism in defense of their traditional territory. The example of the Gurupí River suggests the importance of understanding the politics of rural black communities through a careful consideration of the role of space and geography.resumo:Com uma ênfase no caso do Rio Gurupí na fronteira Maranhão-Pará, o presente artigo argumenta pela importância da territorialidade e geografia nas estratégias dos quilombolas antes e depois da abolição. Quilombolas no Pará adquiriram saberes da terra, acesso as jazidas auríferas, e uma habilidade reconhecida na extração do ouro. Acesso à riqueza mineral do Gurupí tornou-se para os quilombolas uma moeda de valor em relacionamentos com potencias politicas e econômicas na região. As atividades dos quilombolas formaram a paisagem geográfica bem como política, e os quilombolas continuavam a contestar o capitalismo extrativo na defesa do seu território tradicional. O exemplo do Gurupí sugere a importância de entender a política das comunidades negras rurais através de uma consideração cuidadosa do papel de espaço e geografia.resumen:Al enfocarse en el caso de la región del Río Gurupi en la frontera de los estados de Maranhão y Pará, este artículo argumen-tara la importancia de la territorialidad y geografía en las estrategias de comunidades de esclavos fugitivos antes y después de la abolición. Los habitantes de Quilombos (quilombolas) en Pará acumularon sabiduría de la tierra, acceso a depósitos de oro, y agilidades de renombre en la extracción de oro. Estos activos se volvieron divisas valiosas y fuentes de poder político en sus tratos con actores políticos. Dados contactos fueron cruciales para que las quilombolas mantuvieran un tipo de autonomía territorial y política después de la abolición. Las actividades de las quilombolas dieron forma al panorama político de varias comunidades rurales en Brasil más allá de la abolición de la esclavitud, y continuaron a retar el capitalismo extractivo en defensa de su territorialidad tradicional. El ejemplo del Río Gurupí sugiere la importancia de la entender la política de las comunidades negras rurales por medio de una consideración cuidadosa del rol del espacio y la geografía.

DHEA and territoriality during the nonbreeding season in male American martens (Martes americana)

Abstract: Nonbreeding season territoriality is found in many mammal species irrespective of diet, being found in carnivores, granivores, and herbivores. However, we know the hormonal basis for this behavior in virtually none. American martens (Martes americana) show strong intrasexual, year-round territoriality. We collected serum samples from both territorial and transient males and documented size metrics and movement patterns with live-capture and radiotelemetry from September to June in 3 years in Southeast Alaska. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA—a prohormone that can be converted in the brain to active gonadal hormones) levels were high (comparable to humans and rodents showing nonbreeding season spacing behavior) and did not change over the nonbreeding season in territorial males. In contrast, testosterone levels were low in autumn and increased as the summer breeding season approached. Territorial males were larger than transients in some measures and had higher testosterone levels, but similar DHEA and cortisol levels (total and free). DHEA levels declined with age. Our evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that DHEA, not testosterone, is the basis for territoriality outside the breeding season in martens, but collection of serum from females and experimental manipulations are required to provide conclusive evidence.

Reproductive Behavior of the Amazonian Nurse-Frog Allobates paleovarzensis (Dendrobatoidea, Aromobatidae)

Abstract: Allobates paleovarzensis is a diurnal leaf-litter anuran of the Dendrobatoidea superfamily inhabiting Amazonian forests. Based on behavioral field observations, conducted between 2008–2017 at three localities, we describe the courtship, mating, parental care behavior and territoriality of the species. Vocal activity is more intense in the morning and during the rainy season. Resident males respond aggressively to other males that invade their territories, whereas females are not territorial. Females are attracted by the advertisement call of males and enter their territories to breed. The male courtship call has a lower frequency than the advertisement call, indicating that males can modulate the frequency characteristics of their vocalizations. Amplexus stimulates the release of oocytes by females. Males attend multiple egg clutches within their territories and transport tadpoles on their backs to aquatic habitats. Males carry up to 60 tadpoles on a single transport event—the largest number ever recorded for Allobates. We did not record male nor female cannibalism of tadpoles. In summary, we found that Allobates paleovarzensis is a polygamous species with uniparental care performed by the male, complex courtship behavior, high fecundity, and territoriality related to male competition for space and females.

Better to be resident, larger or coloured? Experimental analysis on intraspecific aggression in the ruin lizard

Abstract: Territoriality evolves when the benefits gained from exclusive access to limited resources exceed the costs of defence. Sometimes animals evolve distinct morphs, that may reflect different capability, and in some territorial species of lizards the polymorphism is associated to alternative strategies, both for reproductive efficiency and territorial dominance. It is known that normally larger males are more aggressive and are able to defend a larger area and for longer than small males; in fact this dynamic is widespread in many animal species including the genus Podarcis. The aim of our study was to test which factors determine the outcome of fighting in the strongly territorial Italian ruin lizard, Podarcis siculus, using two types of contests: (1) resident versus intruder and (2) in a neutral arena. Furthermore, because these lizards are characterized by strong ventral colour variability, usually restricted to jaws and throat, we wanted to investigate if coloured lizards have higher chances at winning than white lizards. The results showed that the fight's result was significantly influenced by the state of residence, while the colour had no effect; instead, the snout to vent length difference between opponents had significant influence on the outcome in the neutral arena. Our results suggest that, in this lizard, both the size and the state of residency, no matter of colour, play an important role to determine the outcome of a fight, however, highly depending on the contest. We think that P. siculus should be object of future studies, focusing on behavioural and ecological aspects, even considering the occurrence of different colours within and among populations.

Habitat selection and territoriality

Abstract: Insects dominate virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats on earth. This chapter reviews insect habitat selection, focusing on the occupation and defence of mating sites. First the adaptive basis of mating systems, sex roles, and behaviors in regard to habitat are established, then site occupation and defence in territorial species is explored. Resource-holding potential and resource value are discussed for how they determine aggressive motivation, as well as how contestants seek to gauge such parameters, with particular attention to the role of convention, drawing upon exemplar studies in damselflies and butterflies that have provided a narrative between theory and empiricism. Conventional and/or plastic behaviors are also discussed in terms of the presence and certainty of contestant roles, encompassing phenomena, such as residency confusion, nasty neighbours and interloper effects. The chapter concludes by discussing future avenues, foremost among which is the opportunity to synthesize empirical data across taxa.

Interfaces entre territorialidade e identidade: analisando as vivências das mães do Grupo Maternati

Abstract: The objective of this article is to analyze the interfaces between territoriality and identity based on the experiences of mothers belonging to the Maternati - Support Group for Pregnant Women and Mothers of Maringa/PR. We seek to understand how identities are shaped by belonging to a territory. To this end, we focus mainly on the symbolic dimension of territory, centering on the concepts of territoriality and identity. To reach the proposed goal, we adopted as a methodological strategy a single case study. Under a qualitative approach, a non-participant observation of the activities of the group was conducted for twelve months, and semi-structured interviews were carried out with mothers and coordinators, and this data was analyzed through the critical analysis of the discourse. As a result, the empirical data demonstrated mutual influence between territoriality and identity. Through the territorialization of the Maternati, there is also a conjugation between reproduced identities and new constructed identities that have been incorporated into the daily motherhood practices of the social group. At the same time, the generation of these new identities had an impact on the territoriality of space. The frequent contact among women propitiated the reproduction of practices advancing beyond the territory of the Maternati, expanding into other physical spaces, territorializing new spaces and extending to areas other than motherhood.

High-ranking alleviates male local competition in lek mating systems.

Abstract: Territoriality entails demanding social interactions with competing individuals, typically males. Variation in quality of males can be predicted to affect the spatial arrangement of territories. We present a model aimed at understanding the spatial properties of territories on leks, where the presence of a hierarchy in a population of males leads to the clustering of individuals around high-ranking ‘hotshot’ males. The hierarchy results in a decrease in the number of nearest neighbors interacting directly with high-ranking males, with potential socio-sexual benefits for such males.

Winter territoriality and its implications for the breeding ecology of White-throated Dippers Cinclus cinclus

Abstract: Capsule: Pairs of White-throated Dippers Cinclus cinclus which defended winter territories bred earlier than non-territorial individuals, but there was no difference in reproductive success. Aims: The effect of winter territoriality on breeding ecology has rarely been studied in resident birds. We carried out a preliminary investigation of whether winter territorial behaviour and territory size affect the timing of reproduction, breeding territory size and reproductive success in a riverine bird, the White-throated Dipper. Methods: We monitored an individually marked population of White-throated Dippers in the UK. Wintering individuals were classified as either territorial or ‘floaters’ according to their patterns of occurrence and behaviour, and their nesting attempts were closely monitored in the subsequent months. Winter and breeding territory sizes were measured by gently ‘pushing’ birds along the river and recording the point at which they turned back. Results: All birds defending winter territories did so in pairs, but some individuals changed partners before breeding. Territorial pairs that were together throughout the study laid eggs significantly earlier than pairs containing floaters and those comprising territorial birds that changed partners. However, there were no significant differences in clutch size, nestling mass or the number of chicks fledged. There was no relationship between winter territory length and lay date or any measure of reproductive success, although sample sizes were small. Winter territories were found to be significantly shorter than breeding territories. Conclusion: Winter territoriality may be advantageous because breeding earlier increases the likelihood that pairs will raise a second brood, but further study is needed. Territories are shorter in winter as altitudinal migrants from upland streams increase population density on rivers, but this may also reflect seasonal changes in nutritional and energetic demands.