Publications
2023
From nestling to adult: personality traits are consistent within but not across life stages in a wild songbird
AC Katsis, L Common, ME Hauber, D Colombelli-Négrel & S Kleindorfer (2023) Behaviour, 1-34. doi: 10.1163/1568539X-bja10224
We measured personality across three life stages (nestling, fledgling, and adult) in a wild population of superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus). Personality differences were often consistent within life stages but never across them: specifically, aggressiveness was repeatable in fledglings and all three traits were repeatable in adults.
Prenatal sound experience affects song preferences in male zebra finches
AC Katsis, ATD Bennett, KL Buchanan & MM Mariette (2023) Animal Behaviour, 199, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.008
We prenatally exposed male zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis) to either heat calls (treatment) or contact calls (control) and then assessed their song preferences as adults. Regardless of their prenatal experience, adult birds preferred conspecific song. However, prenatal sound affected birds' relative preference for paternal vs nonpaternal song.
Intraspecific fledgling adoption by a pair of Superb Fairy-wrens Malurus cyaneus
AC Katsis, C Evans, LK Common, D Colombelli-Négrel & S Kleindorfer (2023) Australian Field Ornithology, 40, 49-55. doi: 10.20938/afo40049055
We report an observation of intraspecific adoption in a cooperatively breeding songbird, the superb fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus. In a colour-banded population at Cleland Conservation Park, South Australia, a breeding pair with three nutritionally dependent fledglings adopted an additional male fledgling from an adjacent territory.
2022
Superb fairy-wrens with extreme exploration phenotypes respond more strongly to simulated territory intrusions
D Colombelli-Négrel, AC Katsis & S Kleindorfer (2022) Animal Behaviour, 193, 101-111. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.015
We used superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) to test whether two captive-measured personality traits (exploration and aggressiveness) predicted territorial behaviour in the wild. Dominant individuals and individuals with extreme exploration phenotypes (i.e. fast or slow explorers) responded more strongly to playback.
When aggressiveness could be too risky: linking personality traits and predator response in superb fairy-wrens
J Bilby, D Colombelli-Négrel, AC Katsis & S Kleindorfer (2022) PeerJ, 10, e14011. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14011
Studies linking animal personality measured in captivity with behaviours in the wild are sparse. We used predator playback experiments in superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) to assess whether three captive-measured personality traits correlated with predator responses in the wild. Only one personality trait, aggressiveness, predicted the strength of an individual’s playback response.
Mitochondria as the powerhouses of sexual selection: testing mechanistic links between development, cellular respiration, and bird song
OL Crino, S Falk, AC Katsis, F-LOH Kraft & KL Buchanan (2022) Hormones and Behavior, 142: 105184. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105184
Developmental stress is well known to affect sexually-selected traits such as birdsong, but the mechanisms involved are unclear. We exposed Australian zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis) to corticosterone as nestlings, which indirectly increased the peak frequency of their adults songs. This effect mediated by changes to baseline CORT levels and mitochondrial function.
Functional traits and foraging behaviour: Avian vampire fly larvae change the beak and fitness of their Darwin's finch hosts
S Kleindorfer, D Colombelli-Négrel, LK Common, JA O’Connor, KJ Peters, AC Katsis, RY Dudaniec, FJ Sulloway & N.M. Adreani (2022) Functional Ecology, 36(7): 1806-1817. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.14061
Parasitism by the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi) causes beak deformation in Darwin’s finch nestlings that persists into adulthood. We measured the effects of naris enlargement on foraging behaviour, niche overlap, and body condition. Medium tree finches with enlarged nares did more gleaning and less subsurface prey extraction during foraging.
2021
Female in-nest attendance predicts the number of ectoparasites in Darwin’s finch species
S Kleindorfer, LK Common, JA O’Connor, J Garcia-Loor, AC Katsis, RY Dudaniec, D Colombelli-Négrel & NM Adreani (2021) Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 288(1965): 20211668. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1668.
Parasitism by the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi) is a major cause of nest failure in Darwin’s finches. In several finch species, female nest attendance was negatively associated with parasite abundance, perhaps because parental presence deters flies from ovipositing in the nest. Nests with longer female brooding duration had fewer parasites, and this effect intensified with higher male food delivery to chicks.
Little penguins are more aggressive on islands that experience greater unregulated human disturbance
D Colombelli-Négrel & AC Katsis (2021) Animal Behaviour, 182: 195-202. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.10.012
We tested nest defence behaviour in four South Australian little penguin colonies. Aggression during nest defence was highly repeatable over two same-day trials. Penguins were more aggressive on islands with higher levels of human disturbance.
Prenatal auditory learning in avian vocal learners and non-learners
D Colombelli-Négrel, ME Hauber, C Evans, AC Katsis, L Brouwer, NM Adreani & S Kleindorfer (2021) Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 376(1836): 20200247. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2020-0247
We tested whether bird embryos across multiple species (superb fairy-wren, red-winged fairy-wren, small ground finch, little penguin, Japanese quail) could respond and habituate to prenatal sound. Heart rate response patterns consistent with non-associative learning (habituation) occurred in all species.
Nestling behaviour predicts naris deformation in Darwin’s finches parasitized by the avian vampire fly
AC Katsis, D Colombelli-Négrel, LK Common, JA O’Connor, RY Dudaniec, J García-Loor & S Kleindorfer (2021) Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 134(3): 636-649. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab092
Small ground finch nestlings exposed to more parasites had larger nares and, among older nestlings only, lower body mass. When faced with high-intensity parasitism, more responsive nestlings (i.e. those that struggled more during handling) had larger nares compared to more docile nestlings. This suggests that more responsive nestlings suffer greater fitness costs due to parasitism, although we also discuss alternative explanations.
Long-term effects of prenatal sound experience on songbird behavior and their relation to song learning
AC Katsis, KL Buchanan, S Kleindorfer & MM Mariette (2021) Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 75(1), 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s00265-020-02939-5
Exposure to heat calls produced adult zebra finches that were less neophobic towards a novel food item, but this trait was not itself correlated with song learning. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of the prenatal sound environment for shaping future offspring behavior, which may in turn have unappreciated fitness consequences.
2020
An artificial bird nest experiment in urban environments: Lessons from a school‐based citizen science programme
A Gracanin, E Roger, AC Katsis, LS O’Loughlin, NJ Emery, JF Ocock & JC O’Hanlon (2020) Austral Ecology 45(5), 523-528. doi: 10.1111/aec.12859
We recruited school‐aged citizen scientists to test the nest concealment hypothesis using artificial nests placed in garden trees within their school grounds. We found no relationship between the density of vegetation immediately surrounding a nest and its likelihood of predation.
2018
Prenatal exposure to incubation calls affects song learning in the zebra finch
AC Katsis, MH Davies, KL Buchanan, S Kleindorfer, ME Hauber & MM Mariette (2018) Scientific Reports, 8. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-33301-5
In zebra finches, prenatal exposure to heat calls did not affect song complexity but did increase learning of non-paternal song syllables. This, in turn, improved males’ mounting success in mating trials. Our study provides the first experimental evidence that the prenatal acoustic environment affects song learning and courtship behaviour in songbirds.
2015
Animal personality and pace-of-life syndromes: do fast-exploring fairy-wrens die young?
ML Hall, T van Asten, AC Katsis, NJ Dingemanse, MJ Magrath & R.A. Mulder (2015). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 3:28. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00028
We tested predictions of the pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis in the superb fairy-wren, by investigating long-term individual differences in risk-related behaviours and survival. Individual differences were consistent over several years and docility at the nestling stage predicted exploration behaviour of juveniles.
List of publications
A.C. Katsis, L. Common, M.E. Hauber, D. Colombelli-Négrel & S. Kleindorfer (2023) From nestling to adult: personality traits are consistent within but not across life stages in a wild songbird. Behaviour, 1-34. doi: 10.1163/1568539X-bja10224
A.C. Katsis, A.T.D. Bennett, K.L. Buchanan & M.M. Mariette (2023) Prenatal sound experience affects song preferences in male zebra finches. Animal Behaviour, 199, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.008
A.C. Katsis, C. Evans, L.K. Common, D. Colombelli-Négrel & S. Kleindorfer (2023). Intraspecific fledgling adoption by a pair of Superb Fairy-wrens Malurus cyaneus. Australian Field Ornithology, 40, 49-55. doi: 10.20938/afo40049055
D. Colombelli-Négrel, A.C. Katsis & S. Kleindorfer (2022). Superb fairy-wrens with extreme exploration phenotypes respond more strongly to simulated territory intrusions. Animal Behaviour, 193, 101-111. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.015
J. Bilby, D. Colombelli-Négrel, A.C. Katsis & S. Kleindorfer (2022). When aggressiveness could be too risky: linking personality traits and predator response in superb fairy-wrens. PeerJ, 10, e14011. doi: 10.7717/peerj.14011
O.L. Crino, S. Falk, A.C. Katsis, F.-L.O.H. Kraft & K.L. Buchanan (2022) Mitochondria as the powerhouses of sexual selection: testing mechanistic links between development, cellular respiration, and bird song. Hormones and Behavior, 142: 105184. 4 Dec 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105184
S. Kleindorfer, D. Colombelli-Négrel, L.K. Common, J.A. O’Connor, K.J. Peters, A.C. Katsis, R.Y. Dudaniec, FJ. Sulloway & N.M. Adreani (2022) Functional traits and foraging behaviour: Avian vampire fly larvae change the beak and fitness of their Darwin's finch hosts. Functional Ecology, 36(7): 1806-1817. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.14061
S. Kleindorfer, L.K. Common, J.A. O’Connor, J. Garcia-Loor, A.C. Katsis, R.Y. Dudaniec, D. Colombelli-Négrel & N.M. Adreani (2021) Female in-nest attendance predicts the number of ectoparasites in Darwin’s finch species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 288(1965): 20211668. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1668
D. Colombelli-Négrel & A.C. Katsis (2021) Little penguins are more aggressive on islands that experience greater unregulated human disturbance. Animal Behaviour, 182: 195-202. doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.10.012
D. Colombelli-Négrel, M.E. Hauber, C. Evans, A.C. Katsis, L. Brouwer, N.M. Adreani & S. Kleindorfer (2021) Prenatal auditory learning in avian vocal learners and non-learners. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 376(1836): 20200247. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2020-0247
A.C. Katsis, D. Colombelli-Négrel, L.K. Common, J.A. O’Connor, R.Y. Dudaniec, J. Garcia-Loor & S. Kleindorfer (2021) Nestling behaviour predicts naris deformation in Darwin’s finches parasitised by the avian vampire fly. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 134(3): 636-649. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab092
A.C. Katsis, K.L. Buchanan, S. Kleindorfer, & M.M. Mariette (2021) Long-term effects of prenatal sound experience on songbird behavior and their relation to song learning. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 75(1): 1–13. doi: 10.1007/s00265-020-02939-5
A. Gracanin, E. Roger, A.C. Katsis, L.S. O’Loughlin, N.J. Emery, J.F. Ocock & J.C. O’Hanlon (2020) An artificial bird nest experiment in urban environments: Lessons from a school‐based citizen science programme. Austral Ecology, 45(5): 523–528. doi: 10.1111/aec.12859
A.C. Katsis, M.H. Davies, K.L. Buchanan, S. Kleindorfer, M.E. Hauber & M.M. Mariette (2018) Prenatal exposure to incubation calls affects song learning in the zebra finch. Scientific Reports, 8. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-33301-5
M.L. Hall, T. van Asten, A.C. Katsis, N.J. Dingemanse, M.J. Magrath & R.A. Mulder (2015) Animal personality and pace-of-life syndromes: do fast-exploring fairy-wrens die young? Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 3:28. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00028