Receiver roles in hummingbird courtship

Description

Animal signals are often complex and dynamic; signalers can combine color, pattern, sound, and motion to communicate information for a variety of purposes. Receivers also have an important impact on signal design and evolution. Their perceptual capabilities, psychology, and behavior influence the way signalers transmit information. Despite their recognized importance, receiver dynamics remain relatively understudied compared to signaler and environmental dynamics. This is particularly true in courtship displays where male signalers are often communicating information to female receivers. In broad-tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) courtship displays, male signaling traits–color, sounds, and behavior–and their interaction with the signaling environment are fairly well described, but female dynamics have yet to receive the same consideration. The goal of this project is to account for the influence of female behavior on broad-tailed courtship displays in the Colorado Rockies. This project integrates traditional behavioral observation techniques with new quantitative behavioral techniques–including 3D pose estimation and computer animation–to understand how female behavior influences both male display traits and her own perception of courtship displays. This project will also aid in developing new technologies combining 3D modeling, animation, and color metrics to study complex and dynamic animal coloration.

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