The Relationship Between Individual Variation in Song and Ecology in the Capricorn Silvereye

Abstract

Songs of individual male Capricorn Silvereyes Zosterops lateralis chlorocephala had an average repertoire of 53 syllable types which were organised into over 30 different sequences of three or more syllables. Silvereyes cycled through about half their sequence repertoire in one dawn chorus, repeating each several times. They shared a substantial proportion of their syllable repertoires with other males, especially those in the same age cohort. The relationship of song complexity to the general ecology of the Capricorn Silvereye, and the various influences on that complexity, are discussed.