Migratory singers dynamically overlap the signal space of a breeding warbler community

Migratory species inhabit many communities along their migratory routes. Across taxa, these species repeatedly move into and out of communities, interacting with each other and locally breeding species and competing for resources and niche space. However, their influence is rarely considered in analyses of ecological processes within the communities they temporarily occupy. Here, we explore the impact of migratory species on a breeding community using the framework of acoustic signal space, a limited resource in which sounds of species within communities co-exist. Migrating New World warblers (Parulidae, hereafter referred to as migrant species) often sing during refueling stops in areas and at times during which locally breeding warbler species (hereafter breeding species) are singing to establish territories and attract mates. We used eBird data to determine the co-occurrence of 19 migrant and 11 breeding warbler species across spring migration in SW Michigan, generated a signal space from song recordings of these species, and examined patterns of signaling overlap experienced by breeding species as migrants moved through the community. Migrant species were present for two-thirds of the breeding season of local species, including periods when breeding species established territories and attracted mates. Signaling niche overlap experienced by individual breeding species was idiosyncratic and varied over time, yet niche overlap between migrant and breeding species occurred more commonly than between breeding species or between migrant species. Nevertheless, the proportion of niche overlap between migrant and breeding warblers was similar to overlap among breeding species. Our findings showed that singing by migrant species overlapped the signals of many breeding species, suggesting that migrants could have unexplored impacts on communication in breeding species, potentially affecting song detection and song evolution. Our study contributes to a growing body of research documenting the impacts of migratory species on communities and ecosystems.

Competition for acoustic space in a temperate-forest bird community

Animals that communicate by acoustic signaling share a common acoustic environment. Birds are particularly vocal examples, using a wide repertoire of broadcast signals for mate attraction and territorial defense. However, interference caused by sounds that overlap in frequency and time can disrupt signal detection and reduce reproductive success. Here, we investigated competition avoidance mechanisms used by the bird community inhabiting a primeval lowland temperate forest in Białowieża, Eastern Poland. We recorded the dawn chorus at 84 locations in early and late spring and calculated dissimilarity indices of the broadcast signals to examine how species with greater song similarities use spatial and temporal partitioning to avoid competition for acoustic space throughout the breeding season. The bird community changed its use of acoustic space throughout the day and season. Birds did not use spatial partitioning of signal space when we looked at recording locations over the whole study period, but they did in a seasonal context, with species more acoustically different than expected by chance recorded at the same point in the same part of the season. Our results also indicate that daily temporal niche partitioning may only occur at certain times before sunrise, with no evidence of large-scale temporal partitioning between species vocalizing during the same 1-min recordings in daytime. These results contribute toward our understanding of the evolution of bird communication and highlight the strategies employed by different species to improve their signal transmission.

Satellite remote sensing of environmental variables can predict acoustic activity of an orthopteran assemblage

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is a promising method for biodiversity assessment, which allows for longer and less intrusive sampling when compared to traditional methods (e.g., collecting specimens), by using sound recordings as the primary data source. Insects have great potential as models for the study and monitoring of acoustic assemblages due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. Nevertheless, ecoacoustic studies focused on insects are still scarce when compared to more charismatic groups. Insects' acoustic activity patterns respond to environmental factors, like temperature, moonlight, and precipitation, but community acoustic perspectives have been barely explored. Here, we provide an example of the usefulness of PAM to track temporal patterns of acoustic activity for a nocturnal assemblage of insects (Orthoptera). We integrate satellite remote sensing and astronomically measured environmental factors at a local scale in an Andean Forest of Colombia and evaluate the acoustic response of orthopterans through automated model detections of their songs for nine weeks (March and April of 2020). We describe the acoustic frequency range and diel period for the calling song of each representative species. Three species overlapped in frequency and diel acoustics but inhabit different strata: canopy, understory, and ground surface level. Based on the acoustic frequency and activity, we identified three trends: (i) both sampled cricket species call at lower frequency for shorter periods of time (dusk); (ii) all sampled katydid species call at higher frequency for longer time periods, including later hours at night; and (iii) the diel acoustic activity span window seems to increase proportionally with dominant acoustic frequency, but further research is required. We also identified a dusk chorus in which all the species sing at the same time. To quantify the acoustic response to environmental factors, we calculated a beta regression with the singing activity as a response variable and moon phase, surface temperature and daily precipitation as explanatory variables. The response to the moon phase was significant for the katydids but not for the crickets, possibly due to differences in diel activity periods. Crickets are active during dusk, thus the effects of moonlight on acoustic activity are negligible. The response to precipitation was significant for the two crickets and not for the katydids, possibly because of higher likelihood of rain interrupting crickets' shorter diel activity period. Our study shows how the local survey of orthopteran acoustic assemblages, with a species taxonomic resolution coupled with remote-sensing environmental measurements can reveal responses to environmental factors. In addition, we demonstrate how satellite data might prove to be a useful alternative source of environmental data for community studies with geographical, financial, or other constraints.

Animal Coloration in the Anthropocene

Natural habitats are increasingly affected by anthropogenically driven environmental changes resulting from habitat destruction, chemical and light pollution, and climate change. Organisms inhabiting such habitats are faced with novel disturbances that can alter their modes of signaling. Coloration is one such sensory modality whose production, perception and function is being affected by human-induced disturbances. Animals that acquire pigment derivatives through diet are adversely impacted by the introduction of chemical pollutants into their environments as well as by general loss of natural habitat due to urbanization or logging leading to declines in pigment sources. Those species that do manage to produce color-based signals and displays may face disruptions to their signaling medium in the form of light pollution and turbidity. Furthermore, forest fragmentation and the resulting breaks in canopy cover can expose animals to predation due to the influx of light into previously dark environments. Global climate warming has been decreasing snow cover in arctic regions, causing birds and mammals that undergo seasonal molts to appear conspicuous against a snowless background. Ectotherms that rely on color for thermoregulation are under pressure to change their appearances. Rapid changes in habitat type through severe fire events or coral bleaching also challenge animals to match their backgrounds. Through this review, we aim to describe the wide-ranging impacts of anthropogenic environmental changes on visual ecology and suggest directions for the use of coloration both as an indicator of ecological change and as a tool for conservation.