Data from: Mating success follows duet dancing in the Java sparrow

Mutual interactions between sexes have multiple signalling functions. Duet singing in songbirds is related to mutual mate guarding, joint resource defence, and signalling commitment. Coordinated visual displays of mating pairs are thought to perform similar functions, but are less well understood. The current study evaluated mutual interactions in an Estrildid species to explore the relative importance of duet dancing and male singing in mating success of pairs in a first encounter. When Java sparrows (Lonchura oryzivora) court prospective mates, only males sing. However, both males and females perform courtship dances, often in a duet-like manner. These dances are typically terminated by female copulation solicitation displays (CSDs). In the current study, we observed higher mating success when courtship dances were mutually exchanged, and when males sang. However, the sex initiating the courtship did not affect mating success. Most females produced CSDs after duet dancing but before hearing the entire song, indicating that duet dancing played a crucial role in mating. This finding highlights an unexplored aspect of duetting behaviour in the process of mutual mate choice. These results conflict with the majority of past songbird research, which has interpreted songs as primary behavioural sexual signals.

两性间的相互互动具备多重信号传递功能。鸣禽的鸣唱二重唱与配偶相互守卫、共同资源防御以及承诺信号传递相关。人们认为配对配偶的协同视觉展示也具备类似功能，但相关研究仍较为匮乏。本研究以一种梅花雀科（Estrildidae）物种为对象，探究其相互互动行为，以明确初次相遇的配对配偶中，二重唱式求偶舞与雄性鸣唱对交配成功率的相对重要性。当爪哇禾雀（Lonchura oryzivora）向潜在配偶求偶时，仅雄性会进行鸣唱。但雌雄个体均会展现求偶舞，且常以类二重唱的形式进行。这类求偶舞通常以雌性的交配邀约展示（copulation solicitation displays, CSDs）收尾。本研究中，我们观察到：当雌雄双方互换求偶舞，以及雄性进行鸣唱时，交配成功率更高。但发起求偶的性别并不会对交配成功率造成影响。多数雌性会在完成二重唱式求偶舞后、听到完整鸣唱前展现交配邀约展示，这表明二重唱式求偶舞在交配过程中发挥了关键作用。该研究结果揭示了配偶相互选择过程中，二重唱行为一个尚未被充分探索的维度。这些结果与既往多数鸣禽研究的结论相悖——既往研究均将鸣唱视为主要的性行为信号。