ヨタカ類は暗闇で羽を打ち鳴らして求愛する(Birds clap in the dark to flirt)

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2026-05-19 カリフォルニア大学リバーサイド校(UCR)

米カリフォルニア大学リバーサイド校(UCR)の研究チームは、一部の鳥類が暗闇の中で翼や羽を打ち鳴らす「クラップ音」を使い、求愛コミュニケーションを行っていることを明らかにした。研究では、夜間や視界の悪い環境で活動する鳥を対象に音響解析と行動観察を実施し、羽ばたきによる打撃音が単なる飛行音ではなく、繁殖相手への信号として機能していることを確認した。特に暗所では視覚的ディスプレイが制限されるため、音によるアピールが進化した可能性が示唆された。研究チームは、こうした非鳴き声型コミュニケーションが、鳥類の性的選択や社会行動の理解を広げる重要な手掛かりになると指摘している。また、羽音の周波数やリズムが個体識別や健康状態の指標となる可能性もあり、動物行動学や進化生物学への応用が期待される。

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ハサミオヨタカ(Hydropsalis torquata)の発声の高速赤外線ビデオ解析 High-speed infrared video analysis of sonations in the scissor-tailed nightjar Hydropsalis torquata

Juan Ignacio Areta, Christopher J. Clark
Journal of Avian Biology  Published: 12 May 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/jav.03631

ヨタカ類は暗闇で羽を打ち鳴らして求愛する(Birds clap in the dark to flirt)

Abstract

Many species of nightjar reportedly produce short, impulsive wing sounds during courtship, but the kinematics and physical mechanisms of sound production remain speculative. Using synchronized infrared high-speed video and audio recordings we describe the mechanism of sound production of a sonation in the nocturnal family Caprimulgidae; the wing-snapping of male scissor-tailed nightjars Hydropsalis torquata. This sound is a short, sharp, loud, ‘tk‘, produced singly in a jump display (jump snap), in a syncopated series during a flight display (flying snaps), and in a fast series during copulation (copulation snaps). To produce these ‘tk‘ sounds, males rapidly elevated and supinated the wings to slam opposing wrists together. The videos falsify the hypotheses that sound is produced by intra- or inter-wing colliding feathers or by clapping (i.e. a pulse of air accelerating to escape a constricted space, as in human hand-clapping), as there was no contact by the surface of opposing wing-feathers. Instead, the physical acoustic mechanism appears to be impulsive collisions between the wing bones (radii) which then vibrate, like wing-snapping of Manacus manakins. A low-frequency mechanical thud, produced by an unknown intra-wing mechanism during the downstroke is also present in flying snaps and copulation snaps, and occurs independently during fast takeoff. Fluffle was produced by feathers rustling and colliding in preen-like behavior that has likely a communicative function. An additional male display, the wing rattle, made in flight during chases, has a complex acoustic structure including a similar yet distinct mechanical impulsive sound, the thud, a whoosh, and vocal sounds, indicating a suite of possible sound production mechanisms. The wings seemingly do not touch during the wing-rattle, suggesting that the second type of impulsive sound is produced by intra-wing feather collisions. Preliminary comparisons indicate the conservation of homologous sound-producing mechanisms and sounds in New World nightjars.

生物環境工学
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