Do zebra finches lower their voice when they meet a competitor? (with Dr. Wolfgang Forstmeier)

From EESwiki

Studies of vocal communication in frogs have shown that the frequency characteristics of calls reflect body size, and that males lower their voice in order to intimidate competitors. The extent to which males use this strategy of intimidation, however, depends on the relative size of the competitors. Our work on zebra finches shows that several frequency characteristics are related to body size in both sexes. We also found that in competitive situations large males are dominant over small males, while in females smaller individuals were more aggressive. Now we want to find out whether zebra finches alter their vocal characteristics when they are faced with a competitor. The project involves recording birds in sound-proof chambers once in isolation and once when meeting either a smaller, same-sized, or larger competitor. Call characteristics will be analyzed using Sound Analysis Pro and Voicebox.