Social networking in songbirds: individuals differ in association versus signal strategies

Social network position is key in ecologically important processes, such as in competition and public information use. Recent studies have furthered our understanding of social networks, usually by focusing on either spatial proximity or signalling connections. Yet, here we consider how both proximity and long - range signalling strategies are used by territorial great tits (Parus major), a system in which proximity to conspecifics can be risky. We determined the connection strategies of males tested for exploration behaviour, a personality trait which is strongly correlated to risk - taking and which is additionally known to predict proximity (approach) during territory intrusions. Using novel large - scale automated tracking we show that slower explorers were the weakest overall spatial connectors. However, males with a weak spatial connection strategy (approach) during territory conflicts were the most active daily singers. These findings indicate that weak spatial connectivity does not equal weak social connectivity. Hence, considering both individual proximity and signal connection strategies in future social network analyses would strengthen our understanding of the social dynamics in animal societies and their resulting selection pressures.