Song Variation Among CISTOTHORUS Wrens, With a Focus on the MÉrida Wren

Abstract

Evidence from two Cistothorus wrens (C. palustris, C. platensis) has suggested that repertoire size increases with population density and that song imitators are more likely to be site faithful than are song improvisers. We tested these two ideas on a third species, C. meridae, an endemic to the Venezuelan Andes. Of the three Cistothorus wrens, song repertoire sizes of male Me rida Wrens are the smallest, ranging from 18 to 27 song types per male; Me rida Wrens are also most likely to repeat each type several times before switching to a new type. Density of Me rida Wrens was also lowest, from 0.4 to 2.0 territories per 10 ha. These wrens are highly site faithful, with marked microgeographic song variation. Female Me rida Wrens also sing. Overall, data from the Me rida Wren support the ideas that, among Cistothorus wrens, song reper-