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Vardi R, Soriano-Redondo A, Gutiérrez JS, Dylewski Ł, Jagiello Z, Mikula P, Berger-Tal O, Blumstein DT, Jarić I, Sbragaglia V. Leveraging social media and other online data to study animal behavior. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002793. [PMID: 39208351 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The widespread sharing of information on the Internet has given rise to ecological studies that use data from digital sources including digitized museum records and social media posts. Most of these studies have focused on understanding species occurrences and distributions. In this essay, we argue that data from digital sources also offer many opportunities to study animal behavior including long-term and large-scale comparisons within and between species. Following Nikko Tinbergen's classical roadmap for behavioral investigation, we show how using videos, photos, text, and audio posted on social media and other digital platforms can shed new light on known behaviors, particularly in a changing world, and lead to the discovery of new ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reut Vardi
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- WildCRU, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Andrea Soriano-Redondo
- CEABN, Centro de Ecologia Aplicada Prof. Baeta Neves, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science (HELICS), Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jorge S Gutiérrez
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
- Ecology in the Anthropocene, Associated Unit CSIC-UEX, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Łukasz Dylewski
- Poznań University of Life Sciences, Department of Zoology, Poznań, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Jagiello
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Peter Mikula
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- TUM School of Life Sciences, Ecoclimatology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes of Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Ivan Jarić
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Gif sur Yvette, France
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Valerio Sbragaglia
- Department of Marine Renewable Resources, Institute of Marine Science (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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Bustamante N, Garitano-Zavala Á. Natural Patterns in the Dawn and Dusk Choruses of a Neotropical Songbird in Relation to an Urban Sound Environment. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:646. [PMID: 38396616 PMCID: PMC10886165 DOI: 10.3390/ani14040646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is one of the more important phenomena affecting biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Some organisms can cope with urban challenges, and changes in birds' acoustic communication have been widely studied. Although changes in the timing of the daily organization of acoustic communication have been previously reported, there is a significant gap regarding possible variations in song structure between dawn and dusk choruses. Considering that urbanization imposes different soundscapes for dawn and dusk choruses, we postulate two hypotheses: (i) there are variations in song parameters between dawn and dusk choruses, and (ii) such parameters within the city will vary in response to urban noise. We studied urban and extra-urban populations of Chiguanco Thrush in La Paz, Bolivia, measuring in dawn and dusk choruses: song length; song sound pressure level; minimum, maximum, range and dominant frequency; and the number of songs per individual. The results support our two hypotheses: there were more songs, and songs were louder and had larger band widths at dawn than at dusk in urban and extra-urban populations. Urban Chiguanco Thrushes sing less, the frequency of the entire song rises, and the amplitude increases as compared with extra-urban Chiguanco Thrushes. Understanding variations between dawn and dusk choruses could allow for a better interpretation of how some bird species cope with urban challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Bustamante
- Carrera de Biología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz P. O. Box 10077, Bolivia
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3
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Alquezar RD, Arregui L, Macedo RH, Gil D. Birds living near airports do not show consistently higher levels of feather corticosterone. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coad079. [PMID: 37869263 PMCID: PMC10588694 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coad079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Noise represents a threat to human and wildlife health, triggering physiological and behavioral challenges to individuals living close to sources of extreme noise. Here, we considered airport environments as sources of potentially stressful stimuli for birds and tested if those living near airports are under higher physiological stress than birds living in quiet sites. We used measurements of CORT in feathers (CORTf) as a proxy of chronic stress. We evaluated 14 passerine and 1 non-passerine species, living near three Brazilian airports. We found that, across species, individuals with a better body condition had lower CORTf concentration. At the species level, we found that CORTf concentration was not consistently affected by airport noise. Comparing individuals living in quiet sites with those living near airports, we found that 2 species had higher and 2 had lower CORTf concentrations near airports, while 11 species presented no significant differences between sites. At the population level, model selection indicated that the direction and strength of these differences are weakly related to species' song frequency (peak frequency), as lower-frequency singers tended to present higher CORTf levels at airport-affected sites. In summary, we were unable to find a consistent response among species, probably due to species-specific differences in their response to anthropogenic disturbances. Instead, we found that species might be affected differently according to their singing spectral frequency and that individuals in good body condition show lower CORTf, suggesting that this measure is consistent with lower physiological stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata D Alquezar
- PG em Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, 70919-970, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Lucía Arregui
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Regina H Macedo
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brasil
| | - Diego Gil
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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4
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Ritz-Radlinská A, Barták V, Hodačová L, Maidlová K, Zasadil P. The singing activity of the Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) under traffic noise around highways. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1020982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Steadily increasing human population is changing the environment in many ways. One of the most disturbing impacts is the development of anthropogenic noise pollution connected to ever-growing traffic intensity. The road network can have both positive and negative effects on biodiversity and populations. Many bird species use acoustic communication to establish and maintain their territories and for intra-pair and adult–young communication. Noise pollution can impact negatively on breeding success and biorhythm if this communication is masked by noise and the individuals must adjust their singing activity. Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) is a common bird species of agricultural landscapes whose population is declining due to agricultural intensification. It is found also in habitats near highways with forest steppe-like characteristics, where it is affected by the high levels of anthropogenic noise pollution. This study aimed to determine how this species adapts to noise from highway traffic by adjusting its singing activity. The influence of locality type, immediate and long-term impact of traffic noise on the average and total length of song sequences in the birdsong, and influence on the total number of recorded song sequences during the second hour after sunrise were evaluated in this study. Our results showed that Yellowhammer’s singing activity changed in localities close to highways compared to agricultural landscape. With increasing long-term traffic intensity on highways, song duration of the Yellowhammer song was decreasing. The present traffic intensity led to later onset of dawn chorus and decreasing strophe length with increasing number of passing vehicles. Furthermore, in the agricultural landscape, Yellowhammer’s song duration increased with increasing distance from the nearest road.
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Rivera-Gutierrez HF, Jaramillo-Calle V, Lopera-Salazar A, Martinez-Alvarado D. Does learning matter? Birdsong-learning program determines coping strategies for living in urban noisy environments. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-023-03292-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Urban noise limits perception by masking acoustic signals, with negative consequences for communication. Although animals relying on acoustic communication are affected, they have developed different strategies to reduce the masking effect of urban noise. Theoretically, birdsong vocal learning confers behavioral plasticity, which may be important for adapting to life in urban environments. To understand the role of vocal learning for adjusting to noisy places, we performed a field study combined with a phylogenetic comparative analysis, comparing passerine species that typically exhibit song learning (oscines) and those that do not (suboscines). Under the premise that vocal learning confers behavioral plasticity, we hypothesized that (1) while oscine species would vary song traits (acoustic parameters), under noisy conditions, suboscines would remain consistent; (2) suboscines may vary birdsong activity in relation to noise; and (3) song learning functions as an exaptation for inhabiting noisy urban environments. We found that oscines only shifted the minimum frequency of their song and did not vary song activity in noisy areas. In contrast, suboscines shifted their complete song upwards and decreased song activity in cities. Our phylogenetic analysis indicated that foraging stratum and song frequency, not learning, best explain adaptation to cities in an evolutionary context. If city noise functions as an ecological filter, frequency traits may serve as an exaptation for colonizing noisy environments. We provided clear evidence that passerine species, depending on their song-learning ability, use different strategies to cope with noise, suggesting that vocal learning determines how birds cope with the masking effect of urban noise.
Significance statement
Since birdsong learning may confer behavioral flexibility, we studied its role for adapting to urban noisy environments. We studied passerines that vary in vocal learning ability combining field data with a phylogenetic comparative analysis. Our methodology may provide information on both the response and the evolutionary advantages of vocal learning for living in noisy urban environments. Although both learner and non-learner birds varied their responses, they displayed different strategies for coping with urban noise. Moreover, differences in vocal learning might not limit colonization of noisy environments, and ecological and acoustic traits may explain adaptation to urbanization. Frequency parameters are conserved evolutionary traits among birds living in cities and may function as a preadaptation that facilitates the colonization of urban environments. Our study suggests that the birdsong-learning program does not help birds colonize cities but determines how they cope with the masking effect of urban noise.
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Pandit MM, Bridge ES, Ross JD. Environmental conditions lead to shifts in individual communication, which can cause cascading effects on soundscape composition. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9359. [PMID: 36203628 PMCID: PMC9526030 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is increasing aridity in grassland and desert habitats across the southwestern United States, reducing available resources and drastically changing the breeding habitat of many bird species. Increases in aridity reduce sound propagation distances, potentially impacting habitat soundscapes, and could lead to a breakdown of the avian soundscapes in the form of loss of vocal culture, reduced mating opportunities, and local population extinctions. We developed an agent-based model to examine how changes in aridity will affect both sound propagation and the ability of territorial birds to audibly contact their neighbors. We simulated vocal signal attenuation under a variety of environmental scenarios for the south, central semi-arid prairies of the United States, ranging from contemporary weather conditions to predicted droughts under climate change. We also simulated how changes in physiological conditions, mainly evaporative water loss (EWL), would affect singing behavior. Under contemporary and climate change-induced drought conditions, we found that significantly fewer individuals successfully contacted all adjacent neighbors than did individuals in either the contemporary or predicted climate change conditions. We also found that at higher sound frequencies and higher EWL, fewer individuals were able to successfully contact all their neighbors, particularly in drought and climate change drought conditions. These results indicate that climate change-mediated aridification may alter the avian soundscape, such that vocal communication no longer effectively functions for mate attraction or territorial defense. As climate change progresses, increased aridity in current grasslands may favor shifts toward low-frequency songs, colonial resource use, and altered songbird community compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meelyn M. Pandit
- Oklahoma Biological SurveyUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahomaUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahomaUSA
| | - Eli S. Bridge
- Oklahoma Biological SurveyUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahomaUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahomaUSA
| | - Jeremy D. Ross
- Oklahoma Biological SurveyUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahomaUSA
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OklahomaNormanOklahomaUSA
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7
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Brewer DE, Fudickar AM. A preliminary comparison of a songbird's song repertoire size and other song measures between an urban and a rural site. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8602. [PMID: 35222968 PMCID: PMC8848481 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Characteristics of birdsong, especially minimum frequency, have been shown to vary for some species between urban and rural populations and along urban-rural gradients. However, few urban-rural comparisons of song complexity-and none that we know of based on the number of distinct song types in repertoires-have occurred. Given the potential ability of song repertoire size to indicate bird condition, we primarily sought to determine if number of distinct song types displayed by Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) varied between an urban and a rural site. We determined song repertoire size of 24 individuals; 12 were at an urban ('human-dominated') site and 12 were at a rural ('agricultural') site. Then, we compared song repertoire size, note rate, and peak frequency between these sites. Song repertoire size and note rate did not vary between our human-dominated and agricultural sites. Peak frequency was greater at the agricultural site. Our finding that peak frequency was higher at the agricultural site compared to the human-dominated site, contrary to many previous findings pertaining to frequency shifts in songbirds, warrants further investigation. Results of our pilot study suggest that song complexity may be less affected by anthropogenic factors in Song Sparrows than are frequency characteristics. Additional study, however, will be required to identify particular causal factors related to the trends that we report and to replicate, ideally via multiple urban-rural pairings, so that broader generalization is possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin E. Brewer
- Environmental Resilience InstituteIndiana UniversityBloomingtonIndianaUSA
- Present address:
Central Michigan UniversityMount PleasantMichiganUSA
| | - Adam M. Fudickar
- Environmental Resilience InstituteIndiana UniversityBloomingtonIndianaUSA
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Gruber T, Chimento M, Aplin LM, Biro D. Efficiency fosters cumulative culture across species. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200308. [PMID: 34894729 PMCID: PMC8666915 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies in several taxa have demonstrated that animal culture can evolve to become more efficient in various contexts ranging from tool use to route learning and migration. Under recent definitions, such increases in efficiency might satisfy the core criteria of cumulative cultural evolution (CCE). However, there is not yet a satisfying consensus on the precise definition of efficiency, CCE or the link between efficiency and more complex, extended forms of CCE considered uniquely human. To bring clarity to this wider discussion of CCE, we develop the concept of efficiency by (i) reviewing recent potential evidence for CCE in animals, and (ii) clarifying a useful definition of efficiency by synthesizing perspectives found within the literature, including animal studies and the wider iterated learning literature. Finally, (iii) we discuss what factors might impinge on the informational bottleneck of social transmission, and argue that this provides pressure for learnable behaviours across species. We conclude that framing CCE in terms of efficiency casts complexity in a new light, as learnable behaviours are a requirement for the evolution of complexity. Understanding how efficiency greases the ratchet of cumulative culture provides a better appreciation of how similar cultural evolution can be between taxonomically diverse species-a case for continuity across the animal kingdom. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in animals, humans and machines'.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Gruber
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - M. Chimento
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - L. M. Aplin
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - D. Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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De Gregorio C, Carugati F, Estienne V, Valente D, Raimondi T, Torti V, Miaretsoa L, Ratsimbazafy J, Gamba M, Giacoma C. Born to sing! Song development in a singing primate. Curr Zool 2021; 67:585-596. [PMID: 34805535 PMCID: PMC8598991 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In animal vocal communication, the development of adult-like vocalization is fundamental to interact appropriately with conspecifics. However, the factors that guide ontogenetic changes in the acoustic features remain poorly understood. In contrast with a historical view of nonhuman primate vocal production as substantially innate, recent research suggests that inheritance and physiological modification can only explain some of the developmental changes in call structure during growth. A particular case of acoustic communication is the indris' singing behavior, a peculiar case among Strepsirrhine primates. Thanks to a decade of intense data collection, this work provides the first long-term quantitative analysis on song development in a singing primate. To understand the ontogeny of such a complex vocal output, we investigated juvenile and sub-adult indris' vocal behavior, and we found that young individuals started participating in the chorus years earlier than previously reported. Our results indicated that spectro-temporal song parameters underwent essential changes during growth. In particular, the age and sex of the emitter influenced the indris' vocal activity. We found that frequency parameters showed consistent changes across the sexes, but the temporal features showed different developmental trajectories for males and females. Given the low level of morphological sexual dimorphism and the marked differences in vocal behavior, we hypothesize that factors like social influences and auditory feedback may affect songs' features, resulting in high vocal flexibility in juvenile indris. This trait may be pivotal in a species that engages in choruses with rapid vocal turn-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara De Gregorio
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10125, Italy
| | - Filippo Carugati
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10125, Italy
| | - Vittoria Estienne
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10125, Italy
| | - Daria Valente
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10125, Italy
| | - Teresa Raimondi
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10125, Italy
| | - Valeria Torti
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10125, Italy
| | - Longondraza Miaretsoa
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10125, Italy
| | - Jonah Ratsimbazafy
- Groupe d’Etude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP), BP 779 – Antananarivo 101, Madagascar
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10125, Italy
| | - Cristina Giacoma
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, Torino 10125, Italy
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Hasegawa M, Arai E, Nakamura M. Nestling, but not adult male, barn swallows emit short calls in noisy environments. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Some, but not all, animals cope with anthropogenic noise by changing the structure of their acoustic signals, possibly due to two interrelated factors: the design of the acoustic signals and the intrinsic biological state. Here, using the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) that breed solitarily along streets, we studied male enticement calls and nestling food-begging calls in relation to ambient noise. The former calls are structurally quite similar to the latter, perhaps functioning as a sensory trap to exploit female parental care for nestlings. This provides a unique opportunity to study whether intrinsic biological state (i.e. developmental stage, here), virtually independent of acoustic design, matters in acoustic adaptation to anthropogenic noise. We found that the syllable length of nestling food-begging calls, but not of male enticement calls, decreased with increasing local noise levels within populations. The syllable lengths of the father’s enticement calls and those of the nestling’s food-begging calls were positively related, which explains why male enticement calls as well as nestling food-begging calls had shorter syllables in a noisy urban population compared to those in a quiet rural population. The current findings indicate that the intrinsic biological state of two acoustically similar sounds explains their differential relationships with ambient noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Hasegawa
- Department of Environmental Science, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Nonoichi, Ishikawa 921-8836, Japan
| | - Emi Arai
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, Sokendai (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama-machi, Kanagawa 240-0115, Japan
| | - Masahiko Nakamura
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology, Department of Biology, Joetsu University of Education, 1 Yamayashiki-machi, Joetsu-shi, Niigata 943-8512, Japan
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Sebastianelli M, Blumstein DT, Kirschel ANG. Higher-pitched bird song towards the coast supports a role for selection in ocean noise avoidance. BIOACOUSTICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2021.1879680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alexander N. G. Kirschel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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12
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Liu Y, Zollinger SA, Brumm H. Chronic exposure to urban noise during the vocal learning period does not lead to increased song frequencies in zebra finches. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02942-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
It has often been observed that birds sing at a higher pitch in cities and other areas that are polluted with intense low-frequency noise. How this pattern arises remains unclear though. One prevailing idea is that songbirds adjust song frequencies to environmental noise profiles through developmental plasticity via vocal learning. However, the conclusions of previous studies testing this hypothesis are inconsistent. Here we report the findings from two song learning experiments with zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata), in which we exposed young birds to anthropogenic noise during their sensitive vocal learning period. Unlike previous studies that addressed this issue, we did not use constant synthetic noise but natural urban noise with its typical amplitude fluctuations that was broadcast at realistic sound levels. We found that noise-exposed males in neither experiment developed higher pitched songs compared to control males. This suggests that the natural fluctuations between higher and lower noise levels in cities may allow young birds to exploit relatively quiet moments to hear their tutors and themselves, permitting them to make accurate copies of even low-frequency song elements.
Significance statement
If animals are to persist in urban habitats, they often must adjust their behavior to the altered conditions. Birds in cities are often observed to sing at a higher pitch, but we are largely ignorant of how this phenomenon arises. We investigated whether low-frequency traffic noise interferes with the song learning of birds so that they develop higher pitched songs. Accordingly, we played back natural traffic noise from urban bird habitats to young birds during their learning period and then analyzed their adult songs. We found that birds that learned their songs in noise did not sing at higher frequencies compared to control males that learned their song with no noise exposure. Our results show that typical traffic noise in cities may not be sufficient to interfere with vocal learning in a way that birds develop higher-pitched songs.
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Sánchez-González K, Aguirre-Obando OA, Ríos-Chelén AA. Urbanization levels are associated with the start of the dawn chorus in vermilion flycatchers in Colombia. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2020.1837963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherin Sánchez-González
- Escuela de Investigación en Biomatemáticas, Universidad del Quindío, Carrera 15, Calle 12 Norte, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Oscar A. Aguirre-Obando
- Escuela de Investigación en Biomatemáticas, Universidad del Quindío, Carrera 15, Calle 12 Norte, Armenia, Colombia
| | - Alejandro A. Ríos-Chelén
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Carretera Tlaxcala-Puebla km 1.5, C.P. 90070, Tlaxcala, México
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14
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Méndez C, Barrantes G, Sandoval L. The effect of noise variation over time and between populations on the fine spectrotemporal characteristics of different vocalization types. Behav Processes 2020; 182:104282. [PMID: 33217514 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Noise affects the recognition of acoustic signals by masking information. To compensate for increased noise, individuals often increase the minimum frequency of their vocalization to reduce noise interference. Our goal was to analyze the effect of noise on the characteristics of different bird vocalizations, through a comparative study of vocalizations on the same bird species. We analyzed the effects of noise variation on the fine spectrotemporal characteristics of calls, songs, and duets of White-eared Ground-sparrows (Melozone leucotis) across three populations over a three-year period. We recorded vocalizations and noise levels simultaneously from 41 territories between 2012 and 2014. We measured the duration, minimum, maximum, and maximum amplitude frequency, and counted the number of songs elements for each vocalization recorded. As we predicted, noise influences the minimum frequency of song, but did not have an effect on the fine spectrotemporal characteristics for calls and duets. We did, however, find that low and high frequency of calls and duets increased with noise-population-year interaction. Our results suggest that differences in noise values at each population were inadequate to observe changes in vocalization characteristics. In conclusion, evaluating responses to different noise levels on different vocalization types for the same species expands our understanding of the flexibility of birds to adjust vocalizations in response to anthropogenic noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Méndez
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Gilbert Barrantes
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Montes de Oca, Costa Rica
| | - Luis Sandoval
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Montes de Oca, Costa Rica.
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15
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Reichard DG, Atwell JW, Pandit MM, Cardoso GC, Price TD, Ketterson ED. Urban birdsongs: higher minimum song frequency of an urban colonist persists in a common garden experiment. Anim Behav 2020; 170:33-41. [PMID: 33208979 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Environmental changes caused by urbanization and noise pollution can have profound effects on acoustic communication. Many organisms use higher sound frequencies in urban environments with low-frequency noise, but the developmental and evolutionary mechanisms underlying these shifts are generally unknown. We used a common garden experiment to ask whether changes in minimum song frequency observed 30 years after a songbird colonized an urban environment are a consequence of behavioural flexibility. We captured male juvenile dark-eyed juncos, Junco hyemalis thurberi, from two populations (urban and mountain) soon after they reached independence (aged 25-40 days), raised them in identical indoor aviaries and studied their songs at an age of 3 years. We found that the large population difference in minimum frequency observed in the field persisted undiminished in the common garden despite the absence of noise. We also found some song sharing between the common garden and natal field populations, indicating that early song memorization before capture could contribute to the persistent song differences in adulthood. These results are the first to show that frequency shifts in urban birdsong are maintained in the absence of noise by genetic evolution and/or early life experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin G Reichard
- Department of Zoology, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, U.S.A.,Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, U.S.A
| | | | - Meelyn M Pandit
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, U.S.A.,Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, U.S.A
| | - Gonçalo C Cardoso
- CIBIO-InBIO, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Trevor D Price
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, U.S.A
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16
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Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) alter alarm call duration and peak frequency in response to traffic noise. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241035. [PMID: 33119633 PMCID: PMC7595340 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is an often-overlooked byproduct of urbanization and affects the soundscape in which birds communicate. Previous studies assessing the impact of traffic noise have focused on bird song, with many studies demonstrating the ability of birds to raise song frequency in the presence of low-frequency traffic noise to avoid masking. Less is known about the impact of traffic noise on avian alarm calls, which is surprising given the degree to which predator information within alarm calls may impact fitness. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of traffic noise on the Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus), a small non-migratory songbird with a well-studied and information-rich alarm call. We studied birds at eight locations in Stark County, Ohio, from 15 January to 7 March 2016, and used a taxidermic mount of an Eastern Screech-Owl to elicit alarm calls. In half of the trials, a pre-recorded traffic noise track was also broadcasted at 50 decibels. In noise trials, chickadee calls contained more introductory notes (P < 0.001), more total notes (P < 0.001), were of longer duration (P < 0.001), and had lower introductory and D-note peak frequencies (P = 0.032 and P = 0.041, respectively). No differences were noted in the number of D-notes per call between noise and control trials. Modifying alarm call duration and frequency, without changing the number of D-notes, may be a strategy that chickadees use to convey predator information and to coordinate a threat-appropriate mobbing response when it is not possible to change call type. Our results add to the small, but growing, literature documenting the effects of anthropogenic noise on avian alarm calls, demonstrate the flexibility and complexity of chickadee calls given in response to predators, and may partially explain why chickadees adapt well to urban areas.
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17
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Liang SH, Walther BA, Jen CH, Chen CC, Chen YC, Shieh BS. Acoustic preadaptation to transmit vocal individuality of savanna nightjars in noisy urban environments. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18159. [PMID: 33097822 PMCID: PMC7584573 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75371-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
As urbanization has expanded dramatically, the impacts of urban noise on wildlife have drawn increasing attention. However, previous studies have focused primarily on diurnal songbirds and much less on nocturnal nonpasserines such as nightjars. The savanna nightjar has recently successfully colonized urban areas in Taiwan. Using 1925 calls recorded from 67 individuals, we first investigated the individual differences of the acoustic structures; and, for those acoustic variables with significant individual differences, we examined the correlation between the acoustic structures and the ambient noise levels. We then compared the transmission efficacy of vocal individuality among three sets of acoustic variables: all acoustic variables, noise-related variables, and noise-unrelated variables. Using seven artificial frequency-shifted calls to represent seven different individuals in playback-recording experiments, we also investigated the transmission efficacy of vocal individuality and variable accuracy in three different urban noise levels (high, medium, low). We found that all 30 acoustic variables derived from the acoustic structures demonstrated significant individual differences, and 14 frequency-based variables were negatively correlated with ambient noise levels. Although transmission efficacy was significantly affected by urban noise, individuality information was still transmitted with high accuracy. Furthermore, the noise-unrelated structures (which included the maximum frequency, the maximum amplitude frequency, and the mean frequency of the call) had a significantly higher transmission efficacy of vocal individuality than the noise-related variables (which included the minimum frequency, the frequency at the start and the end of the call) in both field observation and playback-recording experiments. We conclude that these noise-unrelated acoustic features may be one of the key preadaptations for this nocturnal nonpasserine to thrive so successfully in its newly adopted urban environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Hsiung Liang
- Department of Biotechnology, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, 824, Taiwan
| | - Bruno Andreas Walther
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hung Jen
- Department of Geography, CDTL, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, 802, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Chieh Chen
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shihchuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chih Chen
- Department of Biotechnology, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, 824, Taiwan
| | - Bao-Sen Shieh
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shihchuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.
- Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan.
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18
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Lack of consistent responses to aircraft noise in dawn song timing of bird populations near tropical airports. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02865-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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19
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SONG S, LIN A, JIANG T, ZHAO X, METZNER W, FENG J. Bats adjust temporal parameters of echolocation pulses but not those of communication calls in response to traffic noise. Integr Zool 2019; 14:576-588. [PMID: 30811841 PMCID: PMC6900015 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Many studies based on acute short-term noise exposure have demonstrated that animals can adjust their vocalizations in response to ambient noise. However, the effects of chronic noise over a relatively long time scale of multiple days remain largely unclear. Bats rely mainly on acoustic signals for perception of environmental and social communication. Nearly all previous studies on noise-induced vocal adjustments have focused on echolocation pulse sounds. Relatively little is known regarding the effects of noise on social communication calls. Here, we examined the dynamic changes in the temporal parameters of echolocation and communication vocalizations of Vespertilio sinensis when exposed to traffic noise over multiple days. We found that the bats started to modify their echolocation vocalizations on the fourth day of noise exposure, with an increase of 42-91% in the total number of pulse sequences per day. Under noisy conditions, the number of pulses within a pulse sequence decreased by an average of 17.2%, resulting in a significantly slower number of pulses/sequence (P < 0.001). However, there was little change in the duration of a pulse sequence. These parameters were not significantly adjusted in most communication vocalizations under the noise condition (all P > 0.05), except that the duration decreased and the number of syllables/sequences increased in 1 type of communicative vocalization (P < 0.05). This study suggests that bats routinely adjust temporal parameters of echolocation but rarely of communication vocalizations in response to noise condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengjing SONG
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunJilinChina
| | - Aiqing LIN
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunJilinChina
| | - Tinglei JIANG
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunJilinChina
| | - Xin ZHAO
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunJilinChina
| | - Walter METZNER
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunJilinChina
- Department of Integrative Biology and PhysiologyUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jiang FENG
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and UtilizationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunJilinChina
- College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural UniversityChangchunJilinChina
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20
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Moseley DL, Derryberry GE, Phillips JN, Danner JE, Danner RM, Luther DA, Derryberry EP. Acoustic adaptation to city noise through vocal learning by a songbird. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181356. [PMID: 30305435 PMCID: PMC6191693 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise imposes novel selection pressures, especially on species that communicate acoustically. Many animals-including insects, frogs, whales and birds-produce sounds at higher frequencies in areas with low-frequency noise pollution. Although there is support for animals changing their vocalizations in real time in response to noise (i.e. immediate flexibility), other evolutionary mechanisms for animals that learn their vocalizations remain largely unexplored. We hypothesize that cultural selection for signal structures less masked by noise is a mechanism of acoustic adaptation to anthropogenic noise. We test this hypothesis by presenting nestling white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophyrs) with less-masked (higher-frequency) and more-masked (lower-frequency) tutor songs either during playback of anthropogenic noise (noise-tutored treatment) or at a different time from noise playback (control treatment). As predicted, we find that noise-tutored males learn less-masked songs significantly more often, whereas control males show no copying preference, providing strong experimental support for cultural selection in response to anthropogenic noise. Further, noise-tutored males reproduce songs at higher frequencies than their tutor, indicating a distinct mechanism to increase signal transmission in a noisy environment. Notably, noise-tutored males achieve lower performance songs than their tutors, suggesting potential costs in a sexual selection framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Lynn Moseley
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Institution, National Zoological Park, PO Box 37012-MRC 5503, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Nicole Phillips
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA
| | - Julie Elizabeth Danner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Raymond Michael Danner
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA
| | - David Andrew Luther
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
- Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA
| | - Elizabeth Perrault Derryberry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-1610, USA
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21
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Fishbein AR, Löschner J, Mallon JM, Wilkinson GS. Dynamic sex-specific responses to synthetic songs in a duetting suboscine passerine. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202353. [PMID: 30157227 PMCID: PMC6114868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Many bird species produce temporally coordinated duets and choruses, requiring the rapid integration of auditory perception and motor production. While males and females of some species are known to participate in these displays for sex-specific purposes, few studies have identified perceptual features that trigger sex-specific contributions of coordinated song. Especially little is known about perception and production in duetting suboscine passerines, which are thought to have innate songs and largely static, rather than dynamic, vocal behavior. Here, we used synthetic stimuli in a playback experiment on chestnut-backed antbirds (Myrmeciza exsul) to (1) test whether differences in song frequency (Hz) can trigger sex-specific vocal behavior in a suboscine passerine (2) test for the functions of duetting in males and females of this species, and (3) determine whether these suboscines can dynamically adjust the temporal and spectral features of their songs. We found sex-specific responses to synthetic playback manipulated in song frequency (Hz), providing evidence that in this context males sing in duets for general territory defense and females join in for mate guarding purposes. In addition, we found that the birds altered the frequency, duration, and timing of their songs depending on the frequency of the playback songs. Thus, we show that these birds integrate spectral and temporal information about conspecific songs and actively modulate their responses in sex-specific ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Fishbein
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Julia Löschner
- Animal Physiology, Institute for Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julie M. Mallon
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Gerald S. Wilkinson
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
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22
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Tolentino VCDM, Baesse CQ, Melo CD. Dominant frequency of songs in tropical bird species is higher in sites with high noise pollution. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 235:983-992. [PMID: 29751402 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.01.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The structure and organization of acoustic signals arise through evolutionary processes and adaptive pressures on each species. During learning, natural or anthropogenic factors, such as high noise levels in urban areas, pose challenges to acoustic communication in birds. Many species adjust their acoustic signals to higher noise levels by increasing the frequency of vocalizations. The objectives of this study were to compare the dominant frequency of songs among birds dwelling in forest fragments distant from and near to urban areas, establish correlations between the dominant frequency of song and noise levels in these environments and verified the difference of response between oscines, suboscines and non-passerines. We recorded vocalizations of birds between July/2013 and November/2014 in four forest fragments, two of them near and two distant from urban areas. We used Audacity software to measure the dominant frequency. We measured the ambient noise by a calibrated sound pressure level meter in decibels (dBA) in each of the forest fragments. We analyzed 3740 vocalizations of nine tropical bird species. Forest fragments near to urban areas have higher noise levels than more distant forest fragments. Eight of nine studied species presented higher dominant frequencies of songs in forest fragments near to urban areas. Only one species, Myiothlypis flaveola, did not change the dominant frequency of song between the four analyzed forest fragments. The difference in dominant frequency between the forest fragments distant and closer to the urban areas did not vary between oscines, suboscines and non-passerines. Eight tropical birds exhibited higher dominant frequencies of song in forest fragments near urban areas with high level of ambient noise. Oscine, suboscine and non-passerine showed song variations. Bird species that have differences in the vocalization dominant frequency can be used in environmental monitoring and in ethological studies, as they are sensitive to high noise levels. Noise pollution caused by the vehicular traffic and urbanization are correlates with changes in the vocalization of tropical birds in forest fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitor Carneiro de Magalhães Tolentino
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Brazil; Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation of Natural Resources, Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil.
| | - Camilla Queiroz Baesse
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Brazil; Graduate Program in Genetics and Biochemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Celine de Melo
- Federal University of Uberlândia, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Brazil
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23
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Pearse WD, Morales-Castilla I, James LS, Farrell M, Boivin F, Davies TJ. Global macroevolution and macroecology of passerine song. Evolution 2018; 72:944-960. [PMID: 29441527 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Studying the macroevolution of the songs of Passeriformes (perching birds) has proved challenging. The complexity of the task stems not just from the macroevolutionary and macroecological challenge of modeling so many species, but also from the difficulty in collecting and quantifying birdsong itself. Using machine learning techniques, we extracted songs from a large citizen science dataset, and then analyzed the evolution, and biotic and abiotic predictors of variation in birdsong across 578 passerine species. Contrary to expectations, we found few links between life-history traits (monogamy and sexual dimorphism) and the evolution of song pitch (peak frequency) or song complexity (standard deviation of frequency). However, we found significant support for morphological constraints on birdsong, as reflected in a negative correlation between bird size and song pitch. We also found that broad-scale biogeographical and climate factors such as net primary productivity, temperature, and regional species richness were significantly associated with both the evolution and present-day distribution of bird song features. Our analysis integrates comparative and spatial modeling with newly developed data cleaning and curation tools, and suggests that evolutionary history, morphology, and present-day ecological processes shape the distribution of song diversity in these charismatic and important birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Pearse
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.,Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.,Department of Biology and Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322
| | - Ignacio Morales-Castilla
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.,Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada.,Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138.,Department of Life Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 28805, Spain
| | - Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Maxwell Farrell
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Frédéric Boivin
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - T Jonathan Davies
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
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24
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Zollinger SA, Slater PJB, Nemeth E, Brumm H. Higher songs of city birds may not be an individual response to noise. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0602. [PMID: 28794216 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been observed in many songbird species that populations in noisy urban areas sing with a higher minimum frequency than do matched populations in quieter, less developed areas. However, why and how this divergence occurs is not yet understood. We experimentally tested whether chronic noise exposure during vocal learning results in songs with higher minimum frequencies in great tits (Parus major), the first species for which a correlation between anthropogenic noise and song frequency was observed. We also tested vocal plasticity of adult great tits in response to changing background noise levels by measuring song frequency and amplitude as we changed noise conditions. We show that noise exposure during ontogeny did not result in songs with higher minimum frequencies. In addition, we found that adult birds did not make any frequency or song usage adjustments when their background noise conditions were changed after song crystallization. These results challenge the common view of vocal adjustments by city birds, as they suggest that either noise itself is not the causal force driving the divergence of song frequency between urban and forest populations, or that noise induces population-wide changes over a time scale of several generations rather than causing changes in individual behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Anne Zollinger
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Peter J B Slater
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Erwin Nemeth
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany.,BirdLife Austria, 1070 Vienna, Austria
| | - Henrik Brumm
- Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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25
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LaZerte SE, Slabbekoorn H, Otter KA. Learning to cope: vocal adjustment to urban noise is correlated with prior experience in black-capped chickadees. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1058. [PMID: 27358372 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Urban noise can interfere with avian communication through masking, but birds can reduce this interference by altering their vocalizations. Although several experimental studies indicate that birds can rapidly change their vocalizations in response to sudden increases in ambient noise, none have investigated whether this is a learned response that depends on previous exposure. Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) change the frequency of their songs in response to both fluctuating traffic noise and experimental noise. We investigated whether these responses to fluctuating noise depend on familiarity with noise. We confirmed that males in noisy areas sang higher-frequency songs than those in quiet areas, but found that only males in already-noisy territories shifted songs upwards in immediate response to experimental noise. Unexpectedly, males in more quiet territories shifted songs downwards in response to experimental noise. These results suggest that chickadees may require prior experience with fluctuating noise to adjust vocalizations in such a way as to minimize masking. Thus, learning to cope may be an important part of adjusting to acoustic life in the city.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie E LaZerte
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada V2N4Z9
| | - Hans Slabbekoorn
- Behavioural Biology, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ken A Otter
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada V2N4Z9
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26
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27
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Derryberry EP, Gentry K, Derryberry GE, Phillips JN, Danner RM, Danner JE, Luther DA. White-crowned sparrow males show immediate flexibility in song amplitude but not in song minimum frequency in response to changes in noise levels in the field. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:4991-5001. [PMID: 28690825 PMCID: PMC5496534 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The soundscape acts as a selective agent on organisms that use acoustic signals to communicate. A number of studies document variation in structure, amplitude, or timing of signal production in correspondence with environmental noise levels thus supporting the hypothesis that organisms are changing their signaling behaviors to avoid masking. The time scale at which organisms respond is of particular interest. Signal structure may evolve across generations through processes such as cultural or genetic transmission. Individuals may also change their behavior during development (ontogenetic change) or in real time (i.e., immediate flexibility). These are not mutually exclusive mechanisms, and all must be investigated to understand how organisms respond to selection pressures from the soundscape. Previous work on white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) found that males holding territories in louder areas tend to sing higher frequency songs and that both noise levels and song frequency have increased over time (30 years) in urban areas. These previous findings suggest that songs are changing across generations; however, it is not known if this species also exhibits immediate flexibility. Here, we conducted an exploratory, observational study to ask whether males change the minimum frequency of their song in response to immediate changes in noise levels. We also ask whether males sing louder, as increased minimum frequency may be physiologically linked to producing sound at higher amplitudes, in response to immediate changes in environmental noise. We found that territorial males adjust song amplitude but not minimum frequency in response to changes in environmental noise levels. Our results suggest that males do not show immediate flexibility in song minimum frequency, although experimental manipulations are needed to test this hypothesis further. Our work highlights the need to investigate multiple mechanisms of adaptive response to soundscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Raymond M. Danner
- Biology DepartmentGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxVAUSA
- Present address: Department of Biology and Marine BiologyUniversity of North CarolinaWilmingtonNCUSA
| | - Julie E. Danner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyTulane UniversityNew OrleansLAUSA
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Sierro J, Schloesing E, Pavón I, Gil D. European Blackbirds Exposed to Aircraft Noise Advance Their Chorus, Modify Their Song and Spend More Time Singing. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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29
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Long AM, Colón MR, Bosman JL, Mcfarland TM, Locatelli AJ, Stewart LR, Mathewson HA, Newnam JC, Morrison ML. Effects of road construction noise on golden-cheeked warblers: An update. WILDLIFE SOC B 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M. Long
- Institute of Renewable Natural Resources; Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - Melanie R. Colón
- Institute of Renewable Natural Resources; Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - Jessica L. Bosman
- Institute of Renewable Natural Resources; Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - Tiffany M. Mcfarland
- Institute of Renewable Natural Resources; Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - Anthony J. Locatelli
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences; Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - Laura R. Stewart
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences; Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - Heather A. Mathewson
- Institute of Renewable Natural Resources; Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
| | - John C. Newnam
- Texas Department of Transportation; P. O. Box 15426 Austin TX 78701 USA
| | - Michael L. Morrison
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences; Texas A&M University; College Station TX 77843 USA
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Gentry KE, McKenna MF, Luther DA. Evidence of suboscine song plasticity in response to traffic noise fluctuations and temporary road closures. BIOACOUSTICS 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2017.1303645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Gentry
- Environmental Science & Policy Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Megan F. McKenna
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - David A. Luther
- Biology Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
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31
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Mountain chickadees adjust songs, calls and chorus composition with increasing ambient and experimental anthropogenic noise. Urban Ecosyst 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-017-0652-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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32
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Ríos-Chelén AA, McDonald AN, Berger A, Perry AC, Krakauer AH, Patricelli GL. Do birds vocalize at higher pitch in noise, or is it a matter of measurement? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2243-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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33
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Guo F, Bonebrake TC, Dingle C. Low frequency dove coos vary across noise gradients in an urbanized environment. Behav Processes 2016; 129:86-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Phylogeography of the Vermilion Flycatcher species complex: Multiple speciation events, shifts in migratory behavior, and an apparent extinction of a Galápagos-endemic bird species. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2016; 102:152-73. [PMID: 27233443 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2016.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) is a widespread species found in North and South America and the Galápagos. Its 12 recognized subspecies vary in degree of geographic isolation, phenotypic distinctness, and migratory status. Some authors suggest that Galápagos subspecies nanus and dubius constitute one or more separate species. Observational reports of distinct differences in song also suggest separate species status for the austral migrant subspecies rubinus. To evaluate geographical patterns of diversification and taxonomic limits within this species complex, we carried out a molecular phylogenetic analysis encompassing 10 subspecies and three outgroup taxa using mitochondrial (ND2, Cyt b) and nuclear loci (ODC introns 6 through 7, FGB intron 5). We used samples of preserved tissues from museum collections as well as toe pad samples from museum skins. Galápagos and continental clades were recovered as sister groups, with initial divergence at ∼1mya. Within the continental clade, North and South American populations were sister groups. Three geographically distinct clades were recovered within South America. We detected no genetic differences between two broadly intergrading North American subspecies, mexicanus and flammeus, suggesting they should not be recognized as separate taxa. Four western South American subspecies were also indistinguishable on the basis of loci that we sampled, but occur in a region with patchy habitat, and may represent recently isolated populations. The austral migrant subspecies, rubinus, comprised a monophyletic mitochondrial clade and had many unique nuclear DNA alleles. In combination with its distinct song, exclusive song recognition behavior, different phenology, and an isolated breeding range, our data suggests that this taxon represents a separate species from other continental populations. Mitochondrial and nuclear genetic data, morphology, and behavior suggest that Galápagos forms should be elevated to two full species corresponding to the two currently recognized subspecies, nanus and dubius. The population of dubius is presumed to be extinct, and thus would represent the first documented extinction of a Galápagos-endemic bird species. Two strongly supported mitochondrial clades divide Galápagos subspecies nanus in a geographic pattern that conflicts with previous hypotheses that were based on plumage color. Several populations of nanus have recently become extinct or are in serious decline. Urgent conservation measures should seek to preserve the deep mitochondrial DNA diversity within nanus, and further work should explore whether additional forms should be recognized within nanus. Ancestral states analysis based on our phylogeny revealed that the most recent common ancestor of extant Vermilion Flycatcher populations was migratory, and that migratory behavior was lost more often than gained within Pyrocephalus and close relatives, as has been shown to be the case within Tyrannidae as a whole.
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Roca IT, Desrochers L, Giacomazzo M, Bertolo A, Bolduc P, Deschesnes R, Martin CA, Rainville V, Rheault G, Proulx R. Shifting song frequencies in response to anthropogenic noise: a meta-analysis on birds and anurans. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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36
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Ríos-Chelén AA, Lee GC, Patricelli GL. A comparison between two ways to measure minimum frequency and an experimental test of vocal plasticity in red-winged blackbirds in response to noise. BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We examined whether red-winged blackbirds modulate their vocalizations in response to experimental highway noise, alternating between ambient-control and noise-playback periods. Our measures of song duration were shorter, and with a lower value of freq5% (a measure of energy distribution), during noise-playback; however, we interpret these results as noise-induced artefacts. This apparent lack of vocal plasticity should be taken cautiously because we had a small sample size and most birds produced only one song type: song type-related vocal plasticity was unlikely to be found. We found no evidence of a shift in minimum frequency with noise when this was measured with a threshold method on power spectra, but it seemed to increase when measured by eye from spectrograms. Our results suggest that the by-eye practice can lead to bias, which is problematic as several previous studies have used this procedure. Use of the threshold method, over the by-eye practice, is encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gavin C. Lee
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Gail L. Patricelli
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Shannon G, McKenna MF, Angeloni LM, Crooks KR, Fristrup KM, Brown E, Warner KA, Nelson MD, White C, Briggs J, McFarland S, Wittemyer G. A synthesis of two decades of research documenting the effects of noise on wildlife. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:982-1005. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 392] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Graeme Shannon
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Megan F. McKenna
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division; National Park Service; Fort Collins CO 80525 U.S.A
| | - Lisa M. Angeloni
- Department of Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Kevin R. Crooks
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Kurt M. Fristrup
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division; National Park Service; Fort Collins CO 80525 U.S.A
| | - Emma Brown
- Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division; National Park Service; Fort Collins CO 80525 U.S.A
| | - Katy A. Warner
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Misty D. Nelson
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Cecilia White
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Jessica Briggs
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - Scott McFarland
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
| | - George Wittemyer
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; Colorado State University; Fort Collins CO 80523 U.S.A
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38
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Anthropogenic noise is associated with changes in acoustic but not visual signals in red-winged blackbirds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-1928-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Moiron M, González-Lagos C, Slabbekoorn H, Sol D. Singing in the city: high song frequencies are no guarantee for urban success in birds. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
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40
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Gil D, Honarmand M, Pascual J, Pérez-Mena E, Macías Garcia C. Birds living near airports advance their dawn chorus and reduce overlap with aircraft noise. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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41
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Suárez-Rodríguez M, Macías Garcia C. There is no such a thing as a free cigarette; lining nests with discarded butts brings short-term benefits, but causes toxic damage. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:2719-26. [PMID: 25403778 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Revised: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Adaptation to human-modified environments such as cities is poised to be a major component of natural history in the foreseeable future. Birds have been shown to adapt their vocalizations, use of nesting places and activity rhythms to the urban environments, and we have previously reported that some species, including the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), use cellulose from smoked cigarette butts as lining material and thus reduce the number of ectoparasites in their nests, probably because the nicotine repels arthropods. Nicotine is only one of hundreds of potentially harmful substances found in cigarette butts. Here, we investigated whether the presence of such chemicals is harmful for house finches adding cigarette butts to their nests. We found that hatching and fledging success and chick immune response were all positively correlated to the proportion of the nest that was made up of butts. However, the signs of genotoxicity in the blood cells also increased with the proportion of butt cellulose in the nests. Although we have not measured the effect of genotoxicity on post-fledging survival and breeding success, it seems that bringing cigarette butts to the nest has negative consequences that may counterbalance the benefits of using them as ectoparasites repellents.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Suárez-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Conducta Animal, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, México
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42
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Grace MK, Anderson RC. No frequency shift in the “D” notes of Carolina chickadee calls in response to traffic noise. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1838-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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43
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The evolution of vocal learning. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 28:48-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 06/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Voellmy IK, Purser J, Simpson SD, Radford AN. Increased noise levels have different impacts on the anti-predator behaviour of two sympatric fish species. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102946. [PMID: 25058618 PMCID: PMC4109949 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals must avoid predation to survive and reproduce, and there is increasing evidence that man-made (anthropogenic) factors can influence predator−prey relationships. Anthropogenic noise has been shown to have a variety of effects on many species, but work investigating the impact on anti-predator behaviour is rare. In this laboratory study, we examined how additional noise (playback of field recordings of a ship passing through a harbour), compared with control conditions (playback of recordings from the same harbours without ship noise), affected responses to a visual predatory stimulus. We compared the anti-predator behaviour of two sympatric fish species, the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and the European minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus), which share similar feeding and predator ecologies, but differ in their body armour. Effects of additional-noise playbacks differed between species: sticklebacks responded significantly more quickly to the visual predatory stimulus during additional-noise playbacks than during control conditions, while minnows exhibited no significant change in their response latency. Our results suggest that elevated noise levels have the potential to affect anti-predator behaviour of different species in different ways. Future field-based experiments are needed to confirm whether this effect and the interspecific difference exist in relation to real-world noise sources, and to determine survival and population consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene K. Voellmy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Julia Purser
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D. Simpson
- Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew N. Radford
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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46
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Cardoso GC. Nesting and acoustic ecology, but not phylogeny, influence passerine urban tolerance. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:803-810. [PMID: 24115481 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Accepted: 09/18/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization is one of the most extensive and ecologically significant changes happening to terrestrial environments, as it strongly affects the distribution of biodiversity. It is well established that native species richness is reduced in urban and suburban areas, but the species traits that predict tolerance to urbanization are yet little understood. In birds, one of the most studied groups in this respect, evidence is appearing that acoustic traits influence urban living, but it remains unknown how this compares to the effects of more obvious ecological traits that facilitate urban living. Therefore, it remains unclear whether acoustic communication is an important predictor of urban tolerance among species. Here, with a comparative study across 140 European and North American passerines, I show that high song frequency, which is less masked by the low-frequency anthropogenic noise, is associated with urban tolerance, with an effect size over half that of the most important ecological trait studied: off-ground nesting. Other nesting and foraging traits accepted to facilitate urban living did not differ for species occurring in urban environments. Thus, the contribution of acoustic traits for passerine urban tolerance approximates that of more obvious ecological traits. Nonetheless, effect sizes of the biological predictors of urban tolerance were low and the phylogenetic signal for urban tolerance was null, both of which suggest that factors other than phenotypic traits have major effects on urban tolerance. A simple possibility is exposure to urbanization, as there was a higher proportion of urban-tolerant species in Europe, which is more urbanized than North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonçalo C Cardoso
- CIBIO - Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Vairão, 4485-661, Portugal
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47
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48
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Slabbekoorn H. Songs of the city: noise-dependent spectral plasticity in the acoustic phenotype of urban birds. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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49
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50
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Ríos-Chelén AA, Quirós-Guerrero E, Gil D, Macías Garcia C. Dealing with urban noise: vermilion flycatchers sing longer songs in noisier territories. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1434-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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