| Abstract: | During a behavioral study, I recorded vocal duetting by a mated pair of Coral-billed Ground-cuckoos (Carpococcyx renauldi) at the Metro Toronto Zoo. The birds produced three different call types that were combined into four distinct simultaneous and antiphonal duetted sequences. Duetting bouts (n = 12) were always initiated by the male and lasted 1–15 min, although they were generally 2–5 min in length. During longer bouts, both male and female duet elements changed frequently. The loud, clear antiphonal duets were likely associated with long distance communication and could function in territorial defense. These calls were most frequently given as the cuckoos moved around the exhibit, and were often associated with interspecific aggression. Quiet duet sequences were generally uttered when the cuckoos were in close proximity to one another, often from an exposed perch. Close perching and concurrent duetting by this mated pair may also function in spatial defense since it could advertise a coordinated alliance in territorial defense to potential intruders. Zoo Biol 16:179–186, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
