Emeritus Professor Robert Magrath
PhD (University of Cambridge)
Professor of Behavioural Ecology
ANU College of Science
Areas of expertise
- Evolutionary Biology 0603
- Animal Behaviour 060801
- Behavioural Ecology 060201
- Zoology 0608
Research interests
I have broad interests in behavioural ecology, particularly acoustic communication and breeding biology in birds. Our current work is focussed on alarm calls and communication about danger, eavesdropping among species, and vocal mimicry.
For further details see my Biology web page: http://biology.anu.edu.au/research/labs/magrath-group-behavioural-ecology-acoustic-communication-ornithology.
See the 'Wildlife Australia' article at my web site for a non-technical introduction to our work on alarm calls and eavesdropping in avian communities.
Publications
- Liao, C, Chen, C & Magrath, R 2024, 'Asymmetric information in mixed-species mobbing flocks: why are leader species special?', Animal Behaviour, vol. 210, pp. 383-393.
- Zhou, Y, Radford, A & Magrath, R 2024, 'Noise constrains heterospecific eavesdropping more than conspecific reception of alarm calls', Biology Letters, vol. 20, no. 1.
- Turner, C, Mann, S, Spike, M et al. 2023, 'Joint evolution of traits for social learning', Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, vol. 77, no. 47, pp. 16pp.
- Backhouse, F, Welbergen, J, Magrath, R et al. 2023, 'Depleted cultural richness of an avian vocal mimic in fragmented habitat', Diversity and Distributions, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 109-122.
- Camerlenghi, E, Nolazco, S, Farine, D et al. 2023, 'Multilevel social structure predicts individual helping responses in a songbird', Current Biology, vol. 33, no. 8, pp. 1582-1587.
- Turner, C, Spike, M & Magrath, R 2023, 'The evolution of eavesdropping on heterospecific alarm calls: Relevance, reliability, and personal information', Ecology and Evolution, vol. 13, no. 7.
- Rek, P & Magrath, R 2023, 'The quality of avian vocal duets can be assessed independently of the spatial separation of signallers', Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 16438.
- Backhouse, F, Dalziell, A, Magrath, R et al. 2022, 'Higher-order sequences of vocal mimicry performed by male Albert's lyrebirds are socially transmitted and enhance acoustic contrast', Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences, vol. 289, no. 1970, pp. 1-10.
- Rek, P & Magrath, R 2022, 'Display structure size affects the production of and response to multimodal duets in magpie-larks', Animal Behaviour, vol. 187, pp. 137-146.
- Dalziell, A, Welbergen, J & Magrath, R 2022, 'Male superb lyrebirds mimic functionally distinct heterospecific vocalizations during different modes of sexual display', Animal Behaviour, vol. 188, pp. 181-196.
- Rek, P & Magrath, R 2022, 'Reality and illusion: the assessment of angular separation of multi-modal signallers in a duetting bird', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 289.
- Bool, I, Slaymaker, M, Magrath, R et al. 2021, 'First record of acoustic behaviour in Sulawesi bear cuscus (Ailurops ursinus)', Austral Ecology, vol. 46, pp. 507-512.
- Dalziell, A, Maisey, A, Magrath, R et al. 2021, 'Male lyrebirds create a complex acoustic illusion of a mobbing flock during courtship and copulation', Current Biology, vol. 31, no. 9, pp. 1970-1976.
- Ratnayake, C, Zhou, Y, Dawson Pell, F et al. 2021, 'Visual obstruction, but not moderate traffic noise, increases reliance on heterospecific alarm calls', Behavioral Ecology, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 941-951.
- Backhouse, F, Dalziell, A, Magrath, R et al. 2021, 'Differential geographic patterns in song components of male Albert's lyrebirds', Ecology and Evolution, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 2701-2716.
- Magrath, R, Haff, T & Igic, B 2020, 'Interspecific Communication: Gaining Information from Heterospecific Alarm Calls', in Thierry Aubin & Nicolas Mathevon (ed.), Coding Strategies in Vertebrate Acoustic Communication, Springer, Switzerland, pp. 287-314.
- Rek, P & Magrath, R 2020, 'Visual displays enhance vocal duet production and the perception of coordination despite spatial separation of partners', Animal Behaviour, vol. 168, pp. 231-241.
- Ansell, D, Magrath, R & Haff, T 2020, 'Song matching in a long-lived, sedentary bird with a low song rate: The importance of song type, song duration and intrusion', Ethology, vol. 126, no. 12, pp. 1098-1110.
- Rowell, T, Magrath, M & Magrath, R 2020, 'Predator-awareness training in terrestrial vertebrates: Progress, problems and possibilities', Biological Conservation, vol. 252, pp. 13pp.
- McLachlan, JR & Magrath, RD 2020, 'Speedy revelations: how alarm calls can convey rapid, reliable information about urgent danger', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 287, 20192772.
- Tegtman, N & Magrath, R 2020, 'Discriminating between similar alarm calls of contrasting function', Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B, vol. 375, 20190474.
- Igic, B, Ratnayake, C, Radford, A et al. 2019, 'Eavesdropping magpies respond to the number of heterospecifics giving alarm calls but not the number of species calling', Animal Behaviour, vol. 148, pp. 133-143.
- McLachlan, J, Ratnayake, C & Magrath, R 2019, 'Personal information about danger trumps social information from avian alarm calls', Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences, vol. 286, no. 1899, pp. 1-9.
- Zhou, Y, Radford, A & Magrath, R 2019, 'Why does noise reduce response to alarm calls? Experimental assessment of masking, distraction and greater vigilance in wild birds', Functional Ecology, vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 1280-1289.
- Dawson Pell, F, Potvin, D, Ratnayake, C et al. 2018, 'Birds orient their heads appropriately in response to functionally referential alarm calls of heterospecifics', Animal Behaviour, vol. 140, pp. 109-118pp.
- Potvin, D, Ratnayake, C, Radford, A et al 2018, 'Birds Learn Socially to Recognize Heterospecific Alarm Calls by Acoustic Association', Current Biology, vol. 28, no. 16, pp. 2632-2637.
- Cunningham, S & Magrath, R 2017, 'Functionally referential alarm calls in noisy miners communicate about predator behaviour', Animal Behaviour, vol. 129, pp. 171-179pp.
- Butler, N, Magrath, R & Peters, R 2017, 'Lack of alarm calls in a gregarious bird: models and videos of predators prompt alarm responses but no alarm calls by zebra finches', Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, vol. 71, no. 8, pp. 1-13.
- McQueen, A, Naimo, A, Teunissen, N et al 2017, 'Bright birds are cautious: seasonally conspicuous plumage prompts risk avoidance by male superb fairy-wrens', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 284, no. 1857, pp. 20170446-20170446.
- Rek, P & Magrath, R 2017, 'Deceptive vocal duets and multimodal display in a songbird', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 284, no. 1864, pp. 1-9.
- Murray, T, Zeil, J & Magrath, R 2017, 'Sounds of Modified Flight Feathers Reliably Signal Danger in a Pigeon', Current Biology, vol. 27, no. 22, pp. 3520-3525.
- Rek, P & Magrath, R 2016, 'Multimodal duetting in magpie-larks: How do vocal and visual components contribute to a cooperative signal's function?', Animal Behaviour, vol. 117, pp. 35-42.
- Igic, B, McLachlan, J, Lehtinen, I et al 2015, 'Crying wolf to a predator: Deceptive vocal mimicry by a bird protecting young', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 282, no. 1809, pp. 20150798-20150798.
- Magrath, R, Haff, T, McLachlan, J et al 2015, 'Wild Birds Learn to Eavesdrop on Heterospecific Alarm Calls', Current Biology, vol. 25, no. 15, pp. 2047-2050.
- Murray, T & Magrath, R 2015, 'Does signal deterioration compromise eavesdropping on other species' alarm calls?', Animal Behaviour, vol. 108, pp. 33-41.
- Ibanez-Alamo, J, Magrath, R, Oteyza, J et al 2015, 'Nest predation research: recent findings and future perspectives', Journal of Ornithology, vol. 156, pp. S247-S262.
- Haff, T, Horn, A, Leonard, M et al 2015, 'Conspicuous calling near cryptic nests: a review of hypotheses and a field study on white-browed scrubwrens', Journal of Avian Biology, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 289-302.
- Dalziell, A, Welbergen, J, Igic, B et al 2015, 'Avian vocal mimicry: a unified conceptual framework', Biological Reviews, vol. 90, no. 2, pp. 643-668.
- Magrath, R, Haff, T, Fallow, P et al 2015, 'Eavesdropping on heterospecific alarm calls: from mechanisms to consequences', Biological Reviews, vol. 90, pp. 560-586.
- Igic, B & Magrath, R 2014, 'A songbird mimics different heterospecific alarm calls in response to different types of threat', Behavioral Ecology, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 538-548.
- Fallow, P, Pitcher, B & Magrath, R 2013, 'Alarming features: Birds use specific acoustic properties to identify heterospecific alarm calls', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 280, no. 1754, pp. 20122539-20122539.
- Haff, T & Magrath, R 2013, 'Eavesdropping on the neighbours: Fledglings learn to respond to heterospecific alarm calls', Animal Behaviour, vol. 85, no. 2, pp. 411-418.
- Igic, B & Magrath, R 2013, 'Fidelity of vocal mimicry: Identification and accuracy of mimicry of heterospecific alarm calls by the brown thornbill', Animal Behaviour, vol. 85, no. 3, pp. 593-603.
- Dalziell, A, Peters, R, Cockburn, A et al 2013, 'Dance choreography is coordinated with song repertoire in a complex avian display', Current Biology, vol. 23, no. 12, pp. 1132-1135.
- Haff, T & Magrath, R 2013, 'To call or not to call: Parents assess the vulnerability of their young before warning them about predators', Biology Letters, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 20130745-20130745.
- Dalziell, A & Magrath, R 2012, 'Fooling the experts: Accurate vocal mimicry in the song of the superb lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae', Animal Behaviour, vol. 83, no. 6, pp. 1401-1410.
- Haff, T & Magrath, R 2012, 'Learning to listen? Nestling response to heterospecific alarm calls', Animal Behaviour, vol. 84, no. 6, pp. 1401-1410.
- Magrath, R & Bennett, T 2012, 'A micro-geography of fear: learning to eavesdrop on alarm calls of neighbouring heterospecifics', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 279, no. 1730, pp. 902-909.
- Raderschall, C, Magrath, R & Hemmi, J 2011, 'Habituation under natural conditions: model predators are distinguished by approach direction', Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 214, no. 24, pp. 4209-4216.
- Maurer, G, Double, M, Milenkaya, O et al 2011, 'Breaking the rules: sex roles and genetic mating system of the pheasant coucal', Oecologia, vol. 167, no. 2, pp. 413-425.
- Haff, T & Magrath, R 2011, 'Calling at a cost: elevated nestling calling attracts predators to active nests', Biology Letters, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 493-495.
- Fallow, PM, Gardner, JL & Magrath, RD 2011, 'Sound familiar? Acoustic similarity provokes responses to unfamiliar heterospecific alarm calls', Behavioral Ecology 22: 401-410.
- Magrath, R, Haff, T, Horn, A et al 2010, 'Calling in the Face of Danger: Predation Risk and Acoustic Communication by Parent Birds and Their Offspring', Advances in the Study of Behavior, vol. 41, pp. 187-253.
- Gardner, J, Trueman, J, Ebert, D et al 2010, 'Phylogeny and evolution of the Meliphagoidea, the largest radiation of Australasian songbirds', Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 1087-1102.
- Fallow, P & Magrath, R 2010, 'Eavesdropping on other species: mutual interspecific understanding of urgency information in avian alarm calls', Animal Behaviour, vol. 79, no. 2, pp. 411-417.
- Haff, T & Magrath, R 2010, 'Vulnerable but not helpless: nestlings are fine-tuned to cues of approaching danger', Animal Behaviour, vol. 79, no. 2, pp. 487-496.
- Goodale, E, Beauchamp, G, Magrath, R et al 2010, 'Interspecific information transfer influences animal community structure', Trends in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 354-361.
- Magrath, R, Pitcher, B & Gardner, J 2009, 'An avian eavesdropping network: alarm signal reliability and heterospecific response', Behavioral Ecology, vol. 20, pp. 745-752.
- Hingee, M & Magrath, R 2009, 'Flights of fear: a mechanical wing whistle sounds the alarm in a flocking bird', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 276, pp. 4173-4179.
- Magrath, R, Pitcher, B & Gardner, J 2009, 'Recognition of other species' aerial alarm calls: speaking the same language or learning another?', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 276, pp. 769-774.
- Maurer, G, Smith, C, Susser, M et al 2008, 'Solo and duet calling in the pheasant coucal: sex and individual call differences in a nesting cuckoo with reversed size diimorphism', Australian Journal of Zoology, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 143-149.
- Hall, M & Magrath, R 2007, 'Temporal coordination signals coalition quality', Current Biology, vol. 17, no. 11, pp. R406-R407.
- Magrath, R, Pitcher, B & Gardner, J 2007, 'A mutual understanding? Interspecific responses by birds to each other's aerial alarm calls', Behavioral Ecology, vol. 18, pp. 944-951.
- Magrath, R, Pitcher, B & Dalziell, A 2007, 'How to be fed but not eaten: nestling responses to parental food calls and the sound of a predator's footsteps', Animal Behaviour, vol. 74, pp. 1117-1129.
- Magrath, R, Platzen, D & Kondo, J 2006, 'From nestling calls to fledgling silence: adaptive timing of change in response to aerial alarm calls', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 273, pp. 2335-2341.
- Leavesley, A & Magrath, R 2005, 'Communicating about danger: urgency alarm calling in a bird', Animal Behaviour, vol. 70, pp. 365-373.
- Platzen, D & Magrath, R 2005, 'Adaptive differences in response to two types of parental alarm call in altricial nestlings', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 272, pp. 1101-1106.
- Gardner, J, Magrath, R & Olsen, P 2004, 'Speckled warblers break cooperative rules: absence of helping in a group-living member of the Pardalotidae', Animal Behaviour, vol. 67, pp. 719-728.
- Platzen, D & Magrath, R 2004, 'Parental alarm calls suppress nestling vocalization', Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B: Biological Sciences, vol. 271, pp. 1271-1276.
- Detto, T, Zeil, J, Magrath, R et al 2004, 'Sex, size and colour in a semi-terrestrial crab, Heloecius cordiformis (H. Milne Edwards, 1837)', Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, vol. 302, pp. 1-15.
- Magrath, R, Heinsohn, R & Johnstone, R 2004, 'Reproductive skew', in Walter Koenig and Janis Dickinson (ed.), Ecology and Evolution of Cooperative Breeding in Birds, Cambridge University Press, UK, pp. 157-176.
- Crowley, C & Magrath, R 2004, 'Shields of offence: signalling competitive ability in the dusky moorhen, Gallinula tenebrosa', Australian Journal of Zoology, vol. 52, pp. 463-474.
- Leedman, A & Magrath, R 2003, 'Long-term brood division and exclusive parental care in a cooperatively breeding passerine', Animal Behaviour, vol. 65, pp. 1093-1108.
- Maurer, G, Magrath, R, Leonard, M et al. 2003, 'Begging to differ: scrubwren nestlings beg to alarm calls and vocalize when parents are absent', Animal Behaviour, vol. 65, pp. 1045-1055.
- Gardner, J, Magrath, R & Kokko, H 2003, 'Stepping stones of life: natal dispersal in the group-living but noncooperative speckled warbler', Animal Behaviour, vol. 66, pp. 521-530.
- Magrath, R 2001, 'Group breeding dramatically increases reproductive success of yearling but not older female scrubwrens: a model for cooperatively breeding birds?', Journal of Animal Ecology, vol. 70, pp. 370-385.
- Hall, M & Magrath, R 2000, 'Duetting and mate-guarding in Australian magpie-larks (Grallina cyanoleuca)', Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, vol. 47, pp. 180-187.
- Nicholls, J, Double, M, Rowell, D et al. 2000, 'The evolution of cooperative and pair breeding in thornbills Acanthiza (Pardalotidae)', Journal of Avian Biology, vol. 31, pp. 165-176.
- Krebs, E & Magrath, R 2000, 'Food allocation in crimson rosella broods: parents differ in their responses to chick hunger', Animal Behaviour, vol. 59, pp. 739-751.
- Magrath, R, ed., 2000, Journal of Avian Biology.
- Magrath, R & Heinsohn, R 2000, 'Reproductive skew in birds: models, problems and prospects', Journal of Avian Biology, vol. 31, pp. 247-258.
- Magrath, R, Leedman, A, Gardner, J et al. 2000, 'Life in the slow lane: Reproductive life history of the White-browed Scrubwren, an Australian endemic', Auk, vol. 117, no. 2, pp. 479-489.
Projects and Grants
Grants information is drawn from ARIES. To add or update Projects or Grants information please contact your College Research Office.
- Not lost in translation: how to get information from other species' calls? (Primary Investigator)
