Functional Aspects of Singing in Male and Female Uraeginthus bengalus (Estrildidae)

Both sexes of the African estrildid species Uraeginthus bengalus sing regularly. Song structure and the context of singing were studied in males and females under aviary conditions. It was found that:

• 1 Males and females have a similar song differing merely in strophe length, medial length being 1.38 ± 0.47 s in females and 2.58 ± 0.63 s in males.
• 2 Males sing during nesting, laying, incubation and broodcare, but also long before, with a remarkable activity peak at the beginning of incubation, whereas females hardly sing at all during the egg-laying and incubating phases, and their singing peak is long before laying starts.
• 3 In 52 % of all cases the male responds to his female's song during the pre-incubation period. His reaction includes singing, courtship display and elements introducing copulation.