The Art of Diplomacy in Vocally Negotiating Barn Owl Siblings

摘要: To resolve conflicts over limited resources, animals often communicate about their motivation to compete. When signals are transient, the resolution of may be achieved after an interactive process, with each contestant adjusting its signalling level according rival’s behaviour. Unfortunately, importance real-time signal adjustment in conflict remains understudied, especially using experimental approaches. Here we developed a novel “automatic playback” that interacts live individual. It allowed us experimentally test efficacy different behavioural strategies dominate nestling barn owls (Tyto alba). In this species, nestlings vocally negotiate for priority access impending food item absence parents. Two opposite vocal were tested prospects success: under “matching” vs. “mismatching” strategy, playback behaves same opposed way as nestling, respectively. We evaluated how these two affected main negotiation parameters: call duration and rate. found best reduce nestling’s vocalizations hence match opponent mismatch However, latter strategy is only one interaction by inducing become totally silent. Therefore, prevail session, owl should delay transmission rather than simultaneously escalate commonly observed animal competitive interactions. addition, showed matching mismatching rate require larger investment playback, terms number calls, less effective strategies. Assuming vocalisations costly, suggests such honest. Our results highlight communication processes resource competition emphasize power settings investigate animals.