Territorial aggression and coexistence in hybridizing Campylorhynchus: Disentangling the roles of climate, resource availability, and species interactions in Western Ecuador

This dataset documents behavioral responses from standardized playback
experiments investigating territorial aggression between two hybridizing
tropical bird species, Campylorhynchus zonatus brevirostris (BBWR) and
Campylorhynchus fasciatus pallescens (FWR), conducted in western Ecuador
in 2018. The data collection focused on three distinct genetic
populations: C. z. brevirostris, C. f. pallescens North (admixed
population), and C. f. pallescens South (non-admixed population). The
dataset consists of a CSV file: Data.csv: Contains 4,905 detailed
behavioral observations from 112 playback experiments, including approach
distances (horizontal, vertical, and direct in meters), response timing
(in seconds), specific behavioral responses (Fixed Action Patterns), and
number of responding individuals. The experimental design systematically
tested responses to both intraspecific (same-species) and interspecific
(different-species) territorial songs, with appropriate control periods
using non-territorial bird songs. Each experiment followed a structured
protocol of a control and two treatment periods with intervening breaks.
All experiments maintained a minimum spatial separation of 400 meters
between tested breeding groups to ensure independent observations. This
comprehensive dataset enables researchers to examine how hybridization,
climate factors, and resource availability interact to shape territorial
aggression and coexistence in tropical bird communities. The data can be
used to test hypotheses about interspecific territoriality, asymmetrical
aggression patterns, and environmental influences on territorial behavior
in hybridization zones. Detailed supplementary information, including a
complete ethogram of observed behaviors and metadata for sound recordings
used as stimuli, is available in the associated publication.