Risk allocation: Acute and chronic predator exposure have contrasting effects on song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) singing behaviour

Increasing the danger posed by predators may cause prey animals to alter their behaviour. For example, they may be more vigilant and so feed more slowly. Breeding male song sparrows (Melospiza melodia, (Wilson, 1810)) spend much time in conspicuous, loud song, important for territorial defense and for mate attraction. We measured their singing behaviour in relation to both chronic (active Cooperâ s hawk Accipiter cooperii (Bonaparte, 1828)) nest nearby) and acute (playback of hawk calls) predator exposure. We found that proximity to a Cooperâ s hawk nest had little or no influence. In contrast, the response to acute exposure was strong and immediate: song sparrows reduced the song rate and the proportion of time spent singing, lowered perch height and increased concealment. The decline in the amount of song during the few minutes following playback attributable to the acute exposure was 34.6%. We analyze these results in light of theories about how animals adjust risk taking in response to predation danger. Given that the numbers of their predators have risen steadily for the past few decades and affect the level of singing, we consider the implications for trend estimates of songbird populations based on surveys using auditory methods.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author