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This article was downloaded by: [Western Kentucky University]On: 30 April 2013, At: 19:39Publisher: Taylor & FrancisInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
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Abstracts of Poster PresentationsPublished online: 16 Feb 2012.
To cite this article: (2012): Abstracts of Poster Presentations, Bioacoustics: The InternationalJournal of Animal Sound and its Recording, 21:1, 65-85
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ABSTRACTS OF POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Time resolution in the auditory pathway of the cicada Tettigetta josei
D. Alves and P.J. Fonseca
Departamento de Biologia Animal e Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciencias,
Universidade de Lisboa, Bloco C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
Mate finding in the cicada Tettigetta josei is mediated by acoustic communication. The
species-specific male song is composed of complex phrases and the shortest pulse
periods vary between 4 and 8ms, depending on the body temperature. Here we
investigated if the central nervous system is able to resolve the fine time structure of
the song and the temperature dependence of these responses. Intracellular recordings of
auditory interneurons in the metathoracic-abdominal ganglionic complex and
simultaneous auditory nerve recordings were obtained. The experimental stimuli
were the species’ calling song pulses presented at different rates. Body temperature
was controlled with a Peltier element. PSTH and vector strength analysis indicate that
some interneurons were able to resolve pulse periods in the 3–4ms range when the
body temperature was above 24–268C (n ¼ 6). These cells were able to resolve pulse
periods of 6–8ms even when the body temperature was at 168C. The auditory
periphery does not seem to be a limiting factor as averaging analysis in the whole nerve
recordings shows that the pooled receptor response is able to resolve gaps of at least 1–
2ms in the whole temperature range tested (16–288C). Further studies will be
necessary in order to test whether this temporal resolution is maintained at the brain
level.
Lusitanian Toadfish song reflects male quality
M.C.P. Amorima, J.M. Simoesa, N. Mendoncab, N. Bandarrab, V.C. Almadaa and P.J.
Fonsecac
aUIEE - Unidade de Investigacao em Eco-etologia, Instituto Superior de Psicologia
Aplicada, Lisboa, Portugal; bHead of Nutrition Laboratory, IPIMAR, Portugal;cDepartamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciencias, Universidade de Lisboa,
Portugal
During the breeding season, Lusitanian Toadfish males become territorial and emit an
advertisement call (the boatwhistle, BW) to attract mates. We test the hypothesis that
ISSN 0952-4622 print/ISSN 2165-0586 online
q 2012 Taylor & Francis
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2011.648773
http://www.tandfonline.com
Bioacoustics
Vol. 21, No. 1, February 2012, 65–85
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boatwhistles can convey information on individual quality by relating calling activity
and signal parameters with male physical features, namely male total length,
gonadosomatic index, sonic muscle index and male condition, measured by the
condition factor and muscle lipid content. We recorded 22 males in the Tagus River
estuary (Portugal) during the breeding season (2006 and 2007) for up to 8 days and for
an average of 35 h. Single males were kept inside closed artificial nests and groups of
6–8 individuals maintained a normal chorus activity. Acoustic activity varied greatly
among subject males. All males produced boatwhistles during the study period but
calling rate varied markedly among them. The average calling rate varied from 0.1 to
361 BWh-1 (overall mean ¼ 39.9 BWh-1) and the majority of time was spent in
silence (72.4% of the recorded hours). Boatwhistle emission rate and the fundamental
frequency of boatwhistles (equivalent to the sonic muscle contraction frequency during
sound production) were correlated with male condition (somatic and lipid content).
Boatwhistle emission rate was also correlated with sonic muscle index, i.e. with sonic
muscle hypertrophy. Calling rate variability also decreased with increased sonic
muscle and gonadosomatic indexes. These results suggest that only males with higher
somatic and reproductive condition and with higher sonic muscle mass were able to
sustain elevated acoustic activity and sonic muscle contraction rates during sound
production. In conclusion, boatwhistles seem to be able to signal male quality during
social interactions.
The song of Eugaster spinulosa (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae): description and
relationship between song parameters and temperature
A. Ariasa, D. Llusiaa, J.F. Beltranb, H. El Moudenc, T. Slimanic, M. Radic, A. Fattahc and
R. Marqueza
aFonoteca Zoologica, Dept. de Biodiversidad y Biologıa Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de
Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), C/ Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain;bDepartamento de Fisiologıa y Zoologıa, Universidad de Sevilla, C/ Avda, Reina
Mercedes s/n. 41012, Sevilla, Spain; cLaboratory “Biodiversity and Dynamics of the
Ecosystems”, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science Semlalia. BP: 2390, Marrakech
40.000, Morocco
We describe quantitatively the song of Eugaster spinulosa (Johannson 1763),
Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae. To the best of our knowledge there are no previous
descriptions available of the song of any species in the genus. The description is based
on acoustic recordings of five males from the mountains of Jebilet, Marrakech
(Morocco). Recordings were made in a semi-anechoic chamber, in stereo, using
G.R.A.S. 40 BE (frequency range 10 Hz–100 kHz) and Sennheiser MKH 800 P48
(frequency range 30Hz–50 kHz) microphones, at a sampling rate of 192 kHz, on a
Sound Devices 722. The calling song consisted of sequences of a variable number of
echemes, each one of which comprised 2 to 11 broadband syllables, with the frequency
ranging from approximately 7 kHz to almost 80 kHz, but most energy concentrated
between 7 kHz and 27 kHz. We also investigated the relationship between song
parameters and temperature, and attempted to identify the static and dynamic
parameters of the song.
66 Abstracts of Poster Presentations
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Stridulation organs and distress signals in various species of Trox F. (Coleoptera:
Trogidae)
J. Benes
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
Within the genus Trox the structure of the stridulation organs does not vary significantly
among species. I analysed distress signals in five species of the genus Trox F. (T. sabulosus,
T. cadaverinus, T. scaber, T. eversmannii and T. puncticollis). Each beetle was held with
pincers for a few seconds and then released, simulating an attempted predation by a bird.
Following this disturbance, the beetle would spontaneously stridulate for several minutes.
I was able to recognise various differences with regards to the length of chirps and
syllables of these distress signals. These differences appear to be species specific.
Agonistic context and acoustic communication in a cichlid: fine sound analysis and
first playback experiments
F. Bertuccci, M. Beauchaud, J. Attia and N. Mathevon
Laboratoire Ecologie et Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielles (EA3988) Universite Jean Monnet
23 Rue Dr Paul Michelon 42023 Saint Etienne cedex2, France
In Malawi cichlids of the Pseudotropheus complex, acoustic signals have been shown to
act on females during inter-specific mate recognition and, together with visual and
chemical cues, may thus play a role in the fast adaptive radiation of African cichlids. The
aim of our study was to investigate the role of the acoustic channel in an agonistic
context. We recorded emitted sounds and associated behaviours during interactions
between a resident and an intruder in both sexes of Pseudotropheus zebra. To assess the
importance of sound communication, fish were allowed to interact only via an acoustic
channel (playback experiment), only via a visual channel, or via both channels. The fine
acoustic structure of recorded sounds was analysed in both temporal and frequency
domains. Initial results reveal new information on sound structure and show that
behaviour-related and/or individual-related information could be coded by the emitted
sounds.
Calls of White-naped Crane reflect body mass of a bird
E.V. Bragina and I.R. Beme
Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Moscow State University
Sounds of passerine and non-passerine birds may provide data on body condition of a bird.
Information about organism quality may be encoded by different ways. For example, a
larger bird should have a larger syrinx that generates lower fundamental frequencies.
Bioacoustics 67
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Second, a longer trachea corresponds to smaller formant dispersion. More than 60 bird
species have a tracheal elongation i.e. loops of trachea inside of sternum. It has been
suggested that tracheal elongation is a way to imitate sounds of a larger animal due to
decreasing formant dispersion. We analysed correlation of body mass and sound
parameters in the calls of the White-naped Crane Grus vipio. We recorded calls of six
captive breeding pairs i.e. 12 adult cranes. We described the vocal repertoire of
White-naped Cranes as five types of single calls and a duet call – a stable sequence of
single calls. There are three tonal calls (guard call, bark and buzzing) and two non-tonal,
rhythmical calls (purring and quacking). Non-tonal rhythmical calls are more suitable for
highlighting of formants than tonal calls. We found that none of the parameters of tonal
calls correlated with body mass. At once, peak frequency of purring significantly
correlated with body mass. Frequency parameters of duet calls significantly correlated
with body mass. We suggest that sound duration should be connected with body condition:
a larger animal has a greater lung volume and can call for longer. Nevertheless, none of the
call types had a duration that correlated with body mass. Thus, (1) peak frequency of
purring correlated with body mass, thus supporting the hypothesis of vocal size
exaggeration and (2) the duet call of White-naped Crane provides information about body
mass.
Group signature in a songbird with a complex song: importance of syntax
E. Briefera, F. Rybakb and T. Aubinb
aSchool of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile
End Road, London E1 4NS, UK; bUniversite Paris Sud, NAMC, CNRS-UMR8620, Equipe
communications acoustiques, Bat. 446, 91405 Orsay cedex, France
Bird songs are among the most complex sounds produced by animals. Song
complexity is thought to have evolved largely through intersexual selection. However,
this complexity may hinder vocal recognition, which plays an important role in a
variety of social contexts, including neighbour recognition during territory defence.
We investigated the influence of song complexity on neighbour recognition in a
territorial songbird with a highly complex song, the Skylark Alauda arvensis. This bird
is a territorial species of open landscape in which pairs settle in stable territories
during the breeding season. Due to the heterogeneity of the habitat, territories are
grouped in patches spaced by few kilometres. We first carried out a detailed analysis
of songs to describe song syntax (the organisation of sound units in sequences within
songs) and to measure song complexity. We showed that Skylark songs are among the
most complex acoustic signals compared to other songbird species, and that
geographical variation exists at the syntax level: in a given patch, males (neighbours)
share several sequences of syllables in their songs, whereas males settled in different
patches (strangers) have no sequences in common. We then tested neighbour
recognition using natural and artificially modified songs. Results showed that the
syntax of sequences shared by neighbours encodes the neighbourhood identity in the
complex song of the species and is used by birds to discriminate neighbours from
strangers. The ordering of syllables within songs is thus behaviourally salient and
carries a particular meaning for the birds.
68 Abstracts of Poster Presentations
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Noise-dependent vocal plasticity in domestic fowl
H. Brumma and L. Schraderb
aMax Planck Institute for Ornithology, Communication and Social Behaviour Group,
Seewiesen, Germany; bFriedrich Loeffler Institute, Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal
Husbandry, Celle, Germany
Since acoustic communication is considerably constrained by environmental noise, some
animals have evolved adaptations to counteract its masking effects. We found in psycho-
acoustic experiments that domestic fowl (n ¼ 19) exhibited the Lombard effect, that is, a
regulation of vocal amplitude depending on the background noise level. This vocal
mechanism for communication in noise has also evolved in mammals and other bird
species. Previous studies have shown that, in addition to the Lombard effect, humans and
New World monkeys also increase the duration of brief vocalizations (below a few
hundred milliseconds) as the background noise level rises, a behaviour which increases the
detection probability of signals in noise by temporal summation. However, in contrast to
primates, the chickens tested did not regulate the duration of their brief call syllables in
relation to the level of masking background noise. This evidence for a lack of regulation of
syllable duration suggests that this signal parameter cannot be regulated to maintain signal
transfer in chickens because it is used to encode information or because this form of
noise-induced vocal plasticity is perhaps an autapomorphy of mammals or even primates.
Our findings indicate that the common problem of acoustic communication in noise has
led to the evolution of a common solution, the Lombard effect, but also to special
adaptations in different taxa.
Multiple sexually selected traits in the Serin: are colouration and song signalling the
same features?
M. Costa and P.G. Mota
Departamento de Antropologia, Universidade de Coimbra, 3000-056, Coimbra, Portugal
After many studies conducted in bird species, it is now understood that most sexually
selected traits are evolutionary signals that females use to select males with particular
characteristics. The presence of multiple traits, such as song and colouration, can either
signal different characteristics or be redundant. In the latter case, traits should be strongly
correlated between individuals. Previous studies conducted in our laboratory have shown
that both coloration and male song are sexually selected traits in the Serin Serinus serinus,
a small cardueline finch. The species is sexually dichromatic, with males presenting
intense yellow colouration, with high concentration of carotenoids. Also, male Serins sign
songs at a very fast rate of sound production, maintaining high frequency amplitude,
sustaining the production of very complex elements far beyond the Podos triangle. We
recorded songs of a group of males of a wild population during breeding and measured
their colouration by spectrophotometry in order to assess if the two traits were correlated
between individuals. We found that song variables and colouration were not correlated in
our sample, indicating that these two traits signal distinct things for their conspecifics.
Bioacoustics 69
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Temporal patterns of North Atlantic Right Whale vocalizations during winter and
spring in the Northwest Atlantic, USA
A. Guerreiro da Silvaa, E. Vub, D. Rischb and S.M. Van Parijsb
aFaculdade de Ciencias, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal; bNortheast Fisheries Science
Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
Visual and acoustic surveys have shown that endangered North Atlantic Right Whales
overwinter in the waters of the Northeast US. Detailed knowledge of this population’s
distribution is critical to reducing anthropogenic mortality events. Passive acoustic studies
have confirmed that Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS) and Jeffreys
Ledge are areas of high baleen whale acoustic activity during the winter. Right Whales
produce threemain types of calls, the up-call, gun-shot and tonal calls. However, no thorough
assessment has yet been made of which call type is the most appropriate one to use. SBNMS
has been part of an ongoing passive acoustic study since 2006 and provides an opportunity for
understanding the relationship between up-calls and gun-shots for this region. From 18
December 2007 to 28May 2008 an array of 10marine acoustic recording units was deployed
in SBNMS. An automated detector was used to determine seasonal occurrence of calls. Gun-
shots and upcalls occurred throughout the winter period, with gun-shots peaking in January,
and up-calls peaking inDecember. Comparative analyses of up-calls and gun-shots show that
they occur simultaneously around 17:00. Gun-shots primarily tended to occur between 16:00
and 4:00, while up-calls primarily occurred between 11:00 and 18:00. Average gun-shot
activity was 2.15 calls/min,while average up-call activitywas 3.45 calls/min. Future research
should be directed towards assessing occurrence of different call types between seasons, and
in the south-east US breeding grounds and northern foraging areas.
The effect of noise on acoustic communication in Cyprinella venusta
D.E. Holt and C.E. Johnston
Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquaculture, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama,
USA
Noise pollution is a serious problem that has increased dramatically with recent human
development. Despite their seemingly quiet underwater habitat, freshwater fishes are not
sheltered from elevated noise levels. Bridge and boat traffic, along with natural noise
sources including other organisms, waterfalls, rainfall, and water turbulence all contribute
to a noisy aquatic environment. Higher noise levels can result in elevated hearing
thresholds of hearing specialists, and decrease the signal-to-noise ratio of acoustic signals.
Because many fishes use acoustic signals during critical life history stages (such as
reproduction and territory defence), it is important to determine whether elevated noise
levels affect behaviour during these stages. The objectives of this study were to determine
the effect of elevated noise levels on nest choice, acoustic communication, and
reproductive and aggressive behaviours in the Black Tail Shiner Cyprinella venusta.
To determine how noise affected nest choice, two underwater speakers were suspended
over artificial crevice nests on opposite sides of a 1022 l tank. Bank limited white noise
70 Abstracts of Poster Presentations
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was played from one speaker, while the other speaker remained silent. The amount of time
spent and number of aggressive and reproductive behaviours performed by males at the
quiet nest was then compared to the noisy nest. To determine how elevated noise affected
acoustic communication, trials during which the sounds and associated behaviours of
C. venusta were recorded were performed in two tanks: one with elevated noise, and one
with silence. Acoustical parameters that were compared included amplitude, frequency,
call duration, and call frequency. Behavioural parameters compared included distance
between sender and receiver, and the number, duration, and escalation of aggressive and
reproductive behaviours.
Sonic muscle activity during territorial defence and distress calls in the Lusitanian
Toadfish Halobatrachus didactylus
J. Jordaoa, M.C.P. Amorimb and P.J. Fonsecaa
aDepartamento de Biologia Animal e Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de
Ciencias, Universidade de Lisboa, Bloco C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal;bUnidade de Investigacao em Eco-Etologia, ISPA, Rua Jardim do Tabaco, 34, Lisboa,
Portugal
Male Lusitanian Toadfish Halobatrachus didactylus are territorial and have a wide
acoustic repertoire. The sound production apparatus consists of a pair of intrinsic large
sonic muscles on the two lobes of the swimbladder. Sonic muscle activity and the
variability of the vocalizations were matched using electromyograms (EMGs). EMG
electrodes were surgically implanted on the sonic muscles of several territorial males.
After recovery, the subjects were released into an experimental tank with an available nest.
Sonic muscle activity was registered and the vocalizations were simultaneously recorded
using a hydrophone. Social context was manipulated by releasing different kinds of
intruders (male(s) or female(s)). This action elicited the production of boatwhistles, while
grunts were generated during fish disturbance. Preliminary analysis shows that, unlike
previously reported, the bilateral sonic muscles contract simultaneously during the
generation of both signals. The muscle contraction period is halved during the production
of the grunt relative to the boatwhistle. The EMG period matches the sound pulse period
and determines the fundamental sound frequency.
Vocal interactions between Lusitanian Toadfish males
J. Jordaoa, J.M. Simoesb, V.C. Almadab, P.J. Fonsecaa and M.C.P. Amorimb
aDepartamento de Biologia Animal e Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de
Ciencias, Universidade de Lisboa, bloco C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal;bUIEE- Unidade de Investigacao em Eco-etologia, ISPA, R. Jardim do Tabaco, 34 Lisboa,
Portugal
Males from the family Batrachoididae are thought to facilitate vocal activity from their
neighbours with their advertisement mating calls. As in other batrachoidids, Lusitanian
Bioacoustics 71
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Toadfish males emit an advertisement call (the boatwhistle) to attract mates. Here, we
investigate vocal interactions between males in small aggregations. We recorded groups
of six males that spontaneously occupied artificial concrete nests in an intertidal area of
the Tagus River estuary (Portugal). The number of boatwhistles produced by each male
was tallied for each 5-min interval of several periods of one hour. Boatwhistle
occurrences were not adjustable to a Poisson distribution, indicating that toadfish did not
call at random. Correlation analysis (non-parametric Gamma correlation) showed that
some males positively influenced other males to call while others suppressed the calling
activity of neighbours. Consistently, the number of boatwhistles produced per male was
not correlated with the number of calling males, contradicting the vocal facilitation
hypothesis. The effect of a neighbour’s calling activity was further tested with playback
experiments. Sound playback consisted of boatwhistles (BW) emitted at a rate of 5 or
20 BW/min or of white noise (20 sounds per min). Males (n ¼ 8) showed a tendency
to mimic the neighbours’ calling rate, when subjects were calling at a high rate (.12
BW/min). However, subject males were indifferent to low and inhibited by high
playback rate if they were initially calling at a low rate (,12 BW/min). These
preliminary results suggest that Lusitanian Toadfish males respond differentially to other
males depending on their own motivation (i.e. calling rate), indicating that vocal
interactions among Lusitanian Toadfish breeding males are more complex than initially
thought.
Vocal development via voice breaking in the Red-crowned Crane Grus japonensis
A. Klenovaa, I. Volodina,b, E. Volodinab and K. Postelnykhc
aDepartment of Biology, Moscow State University, Vorobiovi Gori, 119899, Russia;bScientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, Russia; 3 Oka Biosphere State Nature
Reserve, Russia
Voice breaking is a process associated with puberty of human males and also accompanies
adolescence in some birds. This phenomenon is well studied in humans, but is still poorly
studied in birds, including cranes. Unanswered are questions about when do cranes start
and complete the process, what changes occur in time and frequency of vocal parameters
throughout the process, and how they are related to the sex, age and overall body growth.
Here we traced the vocal development in 31 cranes from hatching to 1.5-years old related
to increase of body mass and in comparison with voices of 13 conspecific adults. During
voice breaking, calls of both sexes contained two independent fundamental frequencies:
the high one, a retained juvenile frequency, and the low one, a newly appeared adult
frequency. Before voice breaking, calls contained only the high frequency, while after
voice breaking only the low frequency was recorded. Values of both frequencies did not
overlap and did not change during all ontogenesis. Cranes start voice breaking at 7 months
and complete it at 11.5 months on average. The onset of voice breaking coincided with
achieving the adult weight, while factors influencing its completion were not evident. We
did not find any effect of sex and age on the onset and completion of voice breaking. We
discuss that in nature the completion of voice breaking could be related to cessation of
parental care after the break of a parent-chick bond closely before the beginning of a new
breeding season.
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Bioacoustic monitoring of a woodpecker community
M. Kocha, K.-H. Tauchertb and K.-H. Frommoltb
aHumboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Institute of Biology, Invalidenstr. 43, D-10115 Berlin,
Germany; bMuseum fur Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and
Biodiversity at the Humboldt University Berlin, Invalidenstr. 43, D-10115, Berlin,
Germany
Monitoring animal populations is of great importance for nature conservation. For birds
several standardized methods exist to estimate population sizes by mapping singing males
within their territories during the breeding season. In most woodpecker species these
surveys are done by mapping drumming males that in some cases are hard to localize by an
observer, especially if the population density is high and several individuals of different
species are drumming simultaneously. The idea of the study was to design and test a
feasible microphone setup that adopts the principle of established methods and enables
surveys to be conducted by locating drumming signals via acoustic recordings. Four-
channel-recordings with cardioid microphones in a cross configuration were conducted
within a woodpecker community in a natural preserve north of Berlin. Territories were
estimated by mapping the localization results of drumming signals obtained by
triangulation using cross correlation techniques and additional distance information from
sound pressure measurements. The findings showed good correlations with the field
mapping of drumming individuals by an ornithologist concerning species composition as
well as the individuals’ territories.
Effects of cover on loud trill-call and soft seet-call use in the Crested Tit Lophophanescristatus
T. Krama, I. Krams, A. Berzins and K. Igaune
Institute of Systematic Biology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils LV-5401, Latvia
Predation is one of the main factors responsible for winter mortality in small birds.
Contact vocalizations of Crested Tits Lophophanes cristatus can be divided into two
categories: long- and short-range communication calls. The long-range calls are loud,
frequency-modulated trills, which are well suited for acoustic communication over
long distances. The short-range calls, in contrast, are soft, high-pitched tones, which
are strongly attenuated as they radiate through the environment. As the predation cost
in this species is mostly associated with the use of loud calls, we investigated whether
Crested Tits adjust the use of loud trill-calls and of soft seet-calls to changes in habitat
safety. We arranged two feeding sites that differed with respect to predicted safety, and
observed the utterance of loud trill-calls and soft seet-calls. Calling rates of the loud
trill-calls were highest when male Crested Tits foraged at the safe site. The loud trill-
calls were given significantly less often while visiting risky feeders placed just a few
metres away from the safe sites. The soft seet-calls were uttered both at risky and safe
feeders at similar rates. This study suggests that the long-range part of contact
communication in Crested Tits is strongly affected by the level of perceived predation
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risk. In accordance with the data on hearing ability of predators, dominant male
Crested Tits decrease their exposure to predation in risky habitats by choosing a less
risky type of communication with high-pitched sounds.
Length and frequency in male Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita song: not all dare to
sing long songs
P. Linhart, P. Jaska and R. Fuchs
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31,
370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
In songbirds, both males and females can assess qualities of a singing male from features
of its song. However, different features may trigger different responses in males
assessing their rivals during male-male competition and in females searching for a mate.
In some cases, the same feature could be under the conflicting pressure of intra- and
intersexual selection. Chiffchaff males have simple songs consisting of several repeated
syllables. The song length in Chiffchaffs does not reflect strength in aggressive
interactions between males. But still, it could be important for females during mate
choice (e.g. as an indicator of a good territory). We found the song length to be
negatively correlated with the frequency of songs, a trait often used by males to assess
their rival’s fighting ability in many species. All males could potentially sing long songs
to attract females unless there was a mechanism preventing them to do so. We tested a
prediction that low quality males (with high frequency of songs) singing long songs
(probably attractive to females) are targeted with increased aggressive behaviour of the
other males. We studied responses of 48 Chiffchaff males to four types of stimuli: long
song/high frequency, long song/low frequency, short song/high frequency, short
song/low frequency. In general, longer songs elicited stronger responses. Moreover, the
response to long phrase/high frequency songs was the strongest according to our initial
prediction, suggesting that weak males could be ‘punished’ for displaying the trait they
cannot afford.
Acoustics of fish shelters
M. Lugli
Department of Evolutionary and Functional Biology, University of Parma, Italy
Many teleosts emit sounds from crevices, holes or cavities beneath stones and other
types of submerged objects. Yet, the acoustical properties of fish shelters are
virtually unexplored. This study investigates the resonance properties of shelters
commonly used by Mediterranean gobies as hiding places and/or nest sites in the
field, i.e. flat stones, shells belonging to five bivalve species (Tapes philippinarum,
Crassostrea gigas, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Scapharca inaequivalvis, Cerastoderma
edule) or within aquarium tanks (PVC tubes, concrete blocks, clay flower-pots cut
into halves). Both natural and artificial shelters were stimulated using a small
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underwater buzzer as sound source, placed inside or around the shelter to mimic a
fish calling from the nest site (source levels comparable to the those of the goby
sounds emitted under similar circumstances), and different types of driving stimuli
(white noise, pure tones and artificial pulse-trains). Results showed the presence of
remarkable amplitude gains (3–15 dB) at lower frequencies (100–150 Hz) in all
types of natural shelters but one (Mytilus), and in terracotta flowerpots and concrete
blocks. The gain was higher for stones and artificial shelters than for shells. The
experimental piling of sand on the shelter (mimicking a nest-related activity common
in sand gobies) increased gain in all types of shelter. Conclusions were verified by
performing analogous acoustical tests on natural shelters in the field. The
enhancement of low frequencies by stones and shells may explain the widespread
use of low-frequencies for acoustic communication by many teleosts calling from
enclosures. Our results draw attention to the use of suitable shelters for the recording
of sounds by fishes kept within laboratory aquaria.
Sound production, spawning behaviour and parasitic nest intrusions in the
Canestrini’s Goby Pomatoschistus canestrinii
S. Malavasi, C. Valerio and P. Torricelli
Department of Environmental Sciences, University “Ca’ Foscari” of Venice, Campo della
Celestia, Castello 2737/b, 30122 Venice, Italy
The Canestrini’s Goby Pomatoschistus canestrinii (Ninni) is an endemic sand goby
occurring in lagoons and estuaries of the northern Adriatic Sea. As in other sand
gobies, reproduction involves nest acquisition and defence, mate attraction, and
repulsion of other male intruders that may try to penetrate the nest and perform
sneaky fertilisations of the eggs. Previous work has documented sound production in
this species, occurring both in reproductive and aggressive behavioural contexts. In
this paper, sound production and associated behaviours were assessed and compared
in pairs spawning in two different experimental situations: (1) isolated resident
males, and (2) resident males paired with a smaller male, and therefore exposed to
possible nest intrusions. The simultaneous video- and acoustical recording of the
spawning behaviour allowed us to quantify the intensity of sound production and
associated behaviours, which were then compared between the groups of males.
Results indicated that the spawning behaviour of the nest-holding male was affected
by the presence of a male intruder, as the spawning sequence was repeatedly
interrupted by the intrusion attempts. This was reflected in an intense aggression and
associated sound production of the nestholding male towards the intruder male, but
also in a significant increase of aggressive sounds and aggressive visual displays
towards the female. Furthermore, the frequency of a female visual display increased
significantly when the male was exposed to nest intruders. By contrast, the overall
frequency of pre-spawning sounds did not change between the two situations,
although the mean duration of the burst containing the highest number of sounds was
higher in the group of males exposed to male intruders that in the isolated spawning
males. On the whole, these results indicate that parasitic nest intrusions significantly
affect the spawning patterns of the nest-holding males, even in terms of sound rate.
Bioacoustics 75
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Cricket calling site selection and sound transmission in a tropical evergreen forest
J. Manjari and R. Balakrishnan
Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
Acoustically communicating animal species often show preferential use of specific calling
sites or microhabitats from which to broadcast their calls. Site selection may be driven by
different factors, including predator avoidance, reducing acoustic interference or
minimising acoustic attenuation and degradation. We studied microhabitat selection in
13 species of crickets that form the major part of an acoustically communicating ensiferan
assemblage in a tropical evergreen forest in Southern India. We examined microhabitat
selection in these species by comparing proportional use with availability of microhabitats.
We found strong evidence for microhabitat selection by the different species. We then
investigated whether the selection for microhabitats confers sound transmission benefits to
these species by playing back their calls and re-recording them at different distances in both
native and non native microhabitats. The calls were examined for their attenuation and
degradation and compared between species and microhabitats.
Nestling call variation during early development in altricial colonial passerine
P.A.M. Marquesa,b and C.B. Araujoc
aCentro de Biologia Ambiental, Museu Nacional de Historia Natural, Universidade de
Lisboa, Portugal; bDepartamento de Biodiversidad y Biologıa Evolutiva, MNCN (CSIC),
Spain; cPPG Ecologia, IB, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brasil
In the great majority of birds the nestling calls play a major role in parent-offspring
interactions, especially as a recognition signal or a signal of need. However, early in their
life cycle nestling birds undergo massive changes that are expected to influence the
development of their vocalizations. In this context we investigate how the nestling call
changes over time between hatching and fledgling and which call features are associated
with the change over time. In a second step we address how the changes affect the
discrimination between individuals at different ages. In this study we followed nine
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis nestlings during their development, individually
recording their calls at 2 (n ¼ 8), 4 (n ¼ 9), 6 (n ¼ 8), 8 (n ¼ 5) and.8 (n ¼ 5) days old.
Our results show that we can discriminate calls produced by nestlings at different ages. A
post-hoc classification correctly classified the majority of the calls (76%). However, we
were not able to identify a single call parameter responsible for the discrimination. The
most discriminant parameter was the maximum frequency (seven out of nine nestlings),
call duration and maximum frequency time. Against what we expected, overall
discrimination between individuals was highly significant in all age classes. The post-hoc
classification correctly classified the majority of the calls (73%). The most important
parameters in discrimination were call duration, harmonic duration, maximum and
minimum frequencies. These results confirm the influence of development in the overall
call features. Surprisingly, it is possible to statistically discriminate between individuals
from a very early phase in their development.
76 Abstracts of Poster Presentations
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Boing! Acoustic localization, characterization and comparison of Minke Whale songs
from the Hawaiian islands and other areas in the North Pacific Ocean
T. Norrisa, T. Yacka, J. Oswalda, S. Martinb, L. Thomasc and V. Janikc
aBio-Waves Inc., San Diego, California, USA; bSPAWAR Systems Center Pacific San
Diego, California, USA; cCentre for Research into Ecological and Environmental
Modelling and The Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, St Andrews,
Fife, KY16 9LZ, UK
The Minke Whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata is a small, elusive baleen whale that is
rarely sighted in tropical waters of the North Pacific Ocean. During winter and spring, they
produce songs, also known as ‘boings’, which are commonly detected at deep water
hydrophones located around the Hawaiian Islands. We acoustically monitored Minke
Whales using a fixed seafloor hydrophone array encompassing a large (.2000 km2), deep-
water area off the island of Kauai. Simultaneous visual-acoustic surveys of the same
region were conducted from a quiet motor-sailing vessel. The combination of the towed
and fixed hydrophone arrays allowed animals to be localized and tracked in near real-time.
Using both methods, we were able to visually confirm the location of a Minke Whale
initially detected and localized using the fixed hydrophone array, and later with the towed
hydrophone array. These data are being collected to help validate statistical methods that
are being developed to estimate densities of marine mammals using acoustic signals they
produce. In a related study, boings recorded in the Hawaiian Islands (central North Pacific)
were acoustically characterized and compared with boings recorded in the western and
eastern North Pacific. These results are discussed in relation to the behaviour and
population biology of this species. We provide recommendations for tracking, monitoring
behaviours and estimating the distribution and distribution of these vocally active but
visually elusive whales.
Close-range sound communication in Platypus quercivorus (Coleoptera: Platypodidae),a pest of oak trees in Japan
E. Ohya
Entomology Lab, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato 1,
Tsukuba 305-8687, Japan
The oak platypodid beetle Platypus quercivorus produces sounds by stridulating the
abdomen against the elytra. When a female was put onto the bark surface of a male-
infested log, she began to walk and produced an ‘approaching chirp’, searching for a
gallery entrance bored by a male. Upon finding one, she entered it, and the male pushed
her back. While they pushed against each other, the female made a ‘pre-mating buzz’
that lasted about 5–10 s. During this buzzing, the male backed out of the gallery in
order to allow her in. Females that had been silenced via surgery did not evoke this
male reaction; thus, males apparently identified females by their buzzing sound. The
male then followed the female into the gallery, and produced an ‘in-gallery chirp’ with
his posterior abdomen visible. After a while, both sexes backed out of the hole and
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copulated at the entrance. Both sexes produced ‘stress chirps’ when confined inside a
cotton ball, and ‘spontaneous chirps’ when walking alone on the surface of an oak bark
piece. There are two local types in Japan and the inter-pulse-intervals in their buzzes
were different.
Effects of temperature on sound production and auditory sensitivity in the Raphael
Catfish Platydoras costatus
S. Papes and F. Ladich
University of Vienna, Department of Behavioural Biology, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna,
Austria
Hearing sensitivity and sound characteristics of poikilothermic animals are influenced
by ambient temperature. The present study investigates the influence of temperature on
the hearing ability and on sound characteristics in the neotropical Raphael Catfish
Platydoras costatus. Using the auditory evoked potential (AEP) recording technique,
the hearing thresholds of eight specimens were tested at six different frequencies from
100 to 4000 Hz. The temporal resolution was determined by analysing the minimum
resolvable click period (0.3–5ms). Hearing sensitivity and sound production were
measured after acclimation to 228C followed by acclimation to 308C for at least 3 weeks
each. Auditory sensitivity increased from 1 to 4 kHz with rising temperature, whereas
the temporal resolution showed no change. Catfishes produce their stridulation sound
by rubbing the pectoral spines in the shoulder girdle during abduction and adduction of
pectoral fins. Distress calls were recorded when fish were handheld. The stridulation
sounds produced during pectoral fin spine abduction and adduction became shorter at
the higher temperature. Maximum and minimum pulse period as well as pulse
number did not change with temperature, whereas the dominant frequency of sounds
was higher at the higher temperature. Our data indicate that constraints imposed on
hearing sensitivity at different temperatures cannot be compensated even by longer
acclimation. As sound characteristics also change with temperature, we suggest that the
ambient temperature directly affects acoustic communication in the neotropical catfish
P. costatus.
Wolf counting and individual acoustic discrimination by spectrographic analysis
D. Passilongoa, F. Dessi-Fulgheria, A. Gazzolab, M. Zaccaronia and M. Apolloniob
aDepartment of Evolutionary Biology University of Firenze via Romana 17 I - 50125,
Firenze, Italy; bDepartment of Zoology and Evolutionary Genetics 4 University of Sassari
5 via Muroni 25, I-07100 Sassari, Italy
Wolves are a threatened species in many countries around the world and one of the
main monitoring tools uses wolf howls. This study aimed to improve detection of
wolves by the howling technique using spectrographic analysis to count wolves and to
assign howls to the correct pack or individual. Chorus and solo howls from six
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different free ranging packs were elicited by playback from 2003 to 2007 on the
Tuscany Apennines (Italy); in all, 127 howls were analysed. A minimum number of
wolves were estimated considering contemporaneous howls in the chorus. We applied
the analysis at different points of the sound recordings to limit bias due to possible
biphonation and other non linear phenomena. Discrimination was performed by discriminant
function analysis (DFA).Wedetected27animals (mean4.5 individuals/pack).Cross-validated
discriminant analysis assigned 75.7% of the howls to the correct individual and 79.7% of the
howls to the correct pack. As regards DFA analysis, final and maximum fundamental
frequencies are the most important howl features for discriminating among individuals and
among packs. Individual discrimination could be a useful tool to validate the number of
animals detected by spectrographic visualization. Future investigations will be aimed towards
identification, thus associating howls with individuals over periods of time, a promising tool
for wolf conservation.
Isolation-induced call modification in Zebra Finches: an effect of stress of social
separation?
E.C. Pereza, J.E. Eliea, C. Soulageb, H. Soulab, N. Mathevona,c and C. Vignala
aUniversite de Lyon, Universite de Saint-Etienne, ENES EA 3988, France; bUniversite de
Lyon, RMND INSERM U870, INSA-Lyon, France; cUniversite Paris Sud, NAMC CNRS
UMR 8620, France
Perturbation of social interactions is one of the most effective stressors in animals.
Separation of affiliated individuals provokes behavioural perturbations and stress
hormone levels rise. Whereas this aspect of social affiliation has been extensively
described between monogamous partners or between mother and young, few studies
have dealt with potential social bonds between group mates. In the gregarious Zebra
Finch Taeniopygia guttata, we recently demonstrated that social isolation of males
modifies not only call rate in response to female calls, but also acoustic structure of
evoked calls. Here we hypothesize that these modifications in call response are stress-
induced and reveal the perturbation by isolation of existing social bonds with group-
mates. If so, the experimental increase of plasma corticosterone level of males in a
normal social context should mimic the effect of social isolation. After oral
administration of corticosterone, we measured males’ response to female calls of
varied salience (familiar and unfamiliar females) in the presence of a familiar audience.
We report that an increase in circulating stress hormone modifies male Zebra Finches
call response to female calls. We propose that modifications of call structure could carry
information about the emitter’s emotional state.
A combined neural network-statistics method for automated Sperm Whale clicks
detection
A. Sanchez-Garcıaa, A. Bueno-Crespob and J.L. Sancho-Gomezc
aS.A. de Electronica Submarina (SAES), Area Tecnica de Estudios Avanzados y
Tratamiento Digital de Senales, Carretera de la Algameca s/n, 30205-Cartagena,
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Spain; bUniversidad Catolica San Antonio. Departamento Informatica de Sistemas,
Campus de los Jeronimos s/n, Guadalupe 30107-Murcia, Spain; cUniversidad
Politecnica de Cartagena. Departamento de Tecnologıas de la Informacion y las
Comunicaciones, Campus Muralla del Mar. Antiguo Cuartel de Antigones s/n, 30202-
Cartagena, Spain
A new method for the automated detection of Sperm Whale clicks that combines neural
networks and statistical computations is presented. This method is intended to detect
regular clicks and creaks and can be broken down into two main processing stages. The
first stage works with the spectrogram output by computing the accumulated energy along
each time frame, extracting consecutive 2-seconds duration time windows, obtaining
statistical parameters characterizing these time windows and classifying them using a feed
forward neural network as either containing regular clicks, creaks or noise. In the final
stage, a dynamic energy-based criterion is applied to each classified time window based on
previously computed statistical parameters. The performance of the method has been
tested with three long recordings containing regular clicks and creaks and shows
significantly high percentages of correct detections (global score of 94.8%) with a reduced
computation time.
A big bird producing a high-pitched call: a vocal analysis of the Hazel Grouse
F. Sebea,b,c, P. Leonardb, T, Aubina, R. Isoardc and M. Montadertb
aNAMC CNRS UMR 8620, Universite Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France; bONCFS
Centre national d’etudes et de recherche appliquees faune de montagne Micropolis, La
Berardie, 05000 Gap, France; cMaire d’Auzet 04140 France
The Hazel Grouse Bonasa bonasia, a sedentary bird species belonging to the grouse
family, breeds across northern Eurasia, central and eastern Europe in dense, mixed
coniferous woodland. While the territorial call is a good indicator of the grouse’s
presence, the role of acoustic cues is not clear. This study aimed to assess acoustic
characteristics of the Hazel Grouse call and differences between sexes. Recording and
playback experiments were performed in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (France). The
territorial calls of males (n ¼ 8) and females (n ¼ 5) were recorded in the field. Analyses
of signals show that the male has a high-pitched ti-ti-ti-ti-ti call, and the female a liquid
tettettettettet call. The frequency of the peak of maximum amplitude of calls was very
high for such a large bird: 6841 Hz ^ 786 for the male and 6034Hz ^ 476 for the
female. After careful analyses, it turns out that the whole spectrum of the call was within
the audible domain. Moreover, within-individual variability, that allows encoding of the
individual identity, is higher in males (Cvb/Cvi ¼ 2.28) than in females
(Cvb/Cvi , 0.01). The characteristic of producing such high frequency calls may
reflect the necessity to improve localization efficiency in dense woodland, as high
frequencies are associated with better directionality. Moreover our results suggest that
acoustic characteristics of male calls have sufficient inter-individual variability to allow
the coding of individual identity.
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Patterns of shelter usage and social aggregation by the vocal Lusitanian Toadfish
J.M. Simoesa, P.J. Fonsecab, V.C. Almadaa and M.C.P. Amorima
aUIEE - Unidade de Investigacao em Eco-etologia, ISPA, Rua Jardim do Tabaco,
34 Lisboa, Portugal; bDepartamento de Biologia Animal e Centro de Biologia Ambiental,
Faculdade de Ciencias, Universidade de Lisboa, bloco C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016,
Lisboa, Portugal
Marine fishes where males defend nests and provide parental care often migrate from
deeper to littoral waters to breed. In this study we describe seasonal patterns of shelter
occupation in estuarine shallow waters and assess social aggregation in the Lusitanian
Toadfish Halobatrachus didactylus (Batrachoididae), a vocal species with male parental
care. Occupation of intertidal shelters was restricted to the breeding season but adult fish
remained in the subtidal during the non-reproductive season, since they produced sounds
throughout the year. Intertidal shelters were aggregated with up to five shelters found per
2m segment of an 80m transect. This aggregation probably resulted from social attraction
since many segments were found unoccupied. Moreover, shelters contained on average
two fish (maximum of nine). Based on size, shelters with multiple fish seemed to contain
females, or possibly sneakers, but also more than one type I male, showing high social
tolerance for conspecifics.
Acoustic communication in a small benthic fish, Etheostoma crossopterum
P. Speares and C.E. Johnston
Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
Darters in the sub-genus Catonotus are small benthic fish that adopt a reproductive
strategy in which a male establishes a cavity and recruits multiple females to lay eggs
within his shelter. These nest guarding males have been shown to be vocal and acoustic
communication is thought to be critical in allowing these males to recruit females
(courtship vocalizations) and also ward off other males (aggressive vocalizations). One
such species, Ethesotoma crossopterum, is known to produce three types of
vocalizations including knocks and purrs which consist of pulses as well as a harmonic
component previously termed a ‘drum’. Although these vocalizations have been
previously studied, little is known about individual differences between males and how
these differences are related to the size of the male, or the physiological effect of these
vocalizations on other conspecifics. We examined the behaviours of the fish associated
with each of these vocalizations and examined the inter-individual differences in call
components. Recordings were conducted in the laboratory, using nest guarding males
which were exposed to both gravid females, and using intruder males. This poster will
examine the specific use of each of these vocalizations as well as associated behaviours,
in both aggressive and courtship contexts. Future planned research includes an
investigation of possible hormone modulation in response to playbacks of conspecific
vocalizations.
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Bioacoustic analysis for call characterization of two populations of green frog in Central
Italy
M.P. Spigonardi, G. La Porta and M. Mearelli
Department of Cellular and Environmental Biology, University of Perugia, Italy
Recent and important studies have pointed out that environmental stress presents a high risk
for amphibian populations in Europe and, in particular, for the Italian complex of water
frogs Rana (Pelophylax) lessonae. The analysis of vocalization in a single species can be a
useful cognitive tool to better understand this behaviour and an interesting starting point for
conservation strategies. In the last twenty years, an increasing amount of attention has been
dedicated to the study of vocalizations of Europeanwater frog populations (Rana ridibunda,
R. lessonae and their viable, fertile hybrid R. esculenta), in order to provide an additional
biogeographic survey tool, and to underline the similarities and differences between several
populations. Only one study has attempted to discuss the taxonomic question of the species
living in Central Italy using a bioacoustic approach, in synergy with other techniques.
In our work, we want to provide a methodological contribution for the bioacoustic
characterization of the green frog populations through a sampling protocol and a connected
technical analysis. Two green frog populations were investigated and more than 3200 calls
in the field recorded during three breeding seasons. The calls were performed at two sites
with different environmental features and with a comparable number of male specimens.
The results of this analysis highlighted the inter- and intra-population differences.
Furthermore, we provide a description of the individual sequences of vocalizations with
spectral and temporal features of mating and territorial calls.
A comparative study of bird song complexity measures
J.T. Tanttua, J. Turunena and P. Sirkiab
aTampere University of Technology, Pori P.O. Box 300, FIN-28101 Pori, Finland;bUniversity of Turku, Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, FIN-20014 Turku,
Finland
It is known that the song repertoire and versatility of the male Pied Flycatcher Ficedula
hypoleuca correlate significantly with the amount of previous experience (older males
have larger repertoire size), with the brightness of colour (differences between brown
and black males), body mass and physical condition and the spring arrival order. Thus
the species is an interesting test case for song complexity measures. Espmark and
Lampe (Bioacoustics, 1993, Vol. 5, pp. 33–65) analysed the song complexity of male
Pied Flycatcher with several different measures including number of elements and
number of element types in the phrase and repertoire size. The song element is defined
as the smallest (visually) separable entity in the spectrogram. Elements in turn are
building blocks of syllables. A string of syllables that occur together in a particular
pattern is called a phrase. In our study only phrase level complexity is considered. Da
Silva and Vielliard (Advances in Bioacoustics 2, pp. 185–204) claim that repertoire
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size is inadequate for measuring the degree of monotonity or diversity of the song and
propose the use of entropy or self-information as a complexity measure. We apply both
of these approaches in this paper and compare how well the measures predict the age
and physical condition of the singing male. The test data consists of male Pied
Flycatcher songs recorded in Ruissalo Island, Turku, Finland, by Paivi Sirkia with her
students in 2006 – 2008.
Monitoring of booming Bitterns Botaurus stellaris by acoustic triangulation
K.-H. Tauchert and K.-H. Frommolt
Museum fur Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity at
the Humboldt University Berlin, Invalidenstr. 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
The Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris is a characteristic bird of extensive reed beds.
The presence of bitterns can most easily be detected by their characteristic booming
vocalizations. A booming sequence consists of a series of tonal calls with a fundamental
frequency of approximately 150Hz. The calls can be heard over distances ofmore than 1 km,
but despite their low frequency, it is difficult for an observer to estimate the exact position of
the caller. In addition, in areas with high population density it is difficult to discriminate
individual birds by the acoustic characteristics of their calls. We assessed the number of
booming bitterns in a large wetland area in the north-eastern part of Germany. A set of
four-channel-recorderswas used to record the vocalizations of the birds. The synchronization
of the recording unitswas realizedby recording a radio signal at each recorder at the beginning
of the recording session. The position of callers was estimated by the directional information
of each four-channel-recorder and the differences in the arrival time of the acoustic signal at
the different recording devices. Time differences were calculated using cross correlation
techniques. The method allowed us to distinguish between at least 14 booming bitterns in a
reedbed areaofonly two squarekilometres.Themain advantagesof acoustic triangulation are
that the method can be applied to large areas and the data acquisition can bemade by a single
observer. The study was supported by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt.
The sounds of life on Earth
C. Tipp
Wildlife Section, British Library Sound Archive, 96 Euston Rd, London, NW1 2DB, UK
The British Library Sound Archive has one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive
collections of bioacoustic sound recordings. Founded in 1969, the collection now contains
more than 160,000 recordings ofwildlife and natural soundscape recordings,many ofwhich
have never been published. The wildlife collection was originally formed to serve as an
international resource for bioacoustics research, providing copies of recordings to
researchers and archiving field recordings for future generations to benefit from. Today
recordings are also provided for educational projects, exhibitions, private listening, artistic
sound installations, musical compositions, broadcasting and commercial publications.
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SoundServer is an automated service that offers immediate onsite access to a growing
number of recordings. Visitors to the British Library’s Reading Rooms can either browse
the Sound Archive collections via a Jukebox service or pre-order a personal playlist
according to their specific needs. Remote access is available through the Archival Sound
Recordings (ASR) website. ASR is an online resource that provides access to thousands of
hours of recordings from across the Sound Archive. Three wildlife content packages are
currently available through this resource – British Wildlife Recordings, Natural
Soundscapes and Amphibians.
Ecoacoustical constraints shape sound communication in Lake Malawi Cichlids
M. Van Staadena, L.E. Wysockib and F. Ladichb
aDept of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, OH 43402, USA; bDept of
Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
As with other African great lakes, Lake Malawi exhibits an explosive radiation of several
hundred cichlid species, most of which are endemics. Although visual communication
is widely considered the predominant force driving species recognition and mate choice
in this radiation, recent studies highlighted a potential role for acoustic signals.
To corroborate this proposition, we are analysing internal and external constraints on
acoustic communication in several species from different tribes. Here we focus on the
correlation between characteristics of species-specific vocalizations, auditory sensitivity,
and eco-acoustical constraints shaping this communication system. Ambient noise in Lake
Malawi is characterized by a steep increase to 800Hz and a slow decline up to several
kHz. This increase is particularly pronounced during windy conditions creating a low
frequency sound window. Interestingly, hearing sensitivity in Melanochromis johanni and
Metriaclima callainos, revealed by auditory-evoked potential measurements, is
maximally sensitive at 150–200Hz and lowest at 800–1000Hz. Moreover, this is true
whether sensitivity is measured in terms of acoustic pressure or particle acceleration. All
genera investigated to date produce pulsed sounds during agonistic and reproductive
interactions with energies concentrated between 200–300Hz. Thus, the main frequencies
for sound communication are concentrated both at the maximum auditory sensitivity, and
within the ambient noise window of the lake. These results indicate that sound
communication in Lake Malawi cichlids is facilitated by both internal sensory and eco-
acoustical conditions in the lake, and could play a major role in speciation.
Sexing of four monomorphic Dendrocygna whistling duck species by their loud
whistles
I. Volodina,b, V. Matrosovaa, M. Kaiserc, E. Volodinab and A. Klenovaa
aDepartment of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Russia; bScientific Research Department, Moscow Zoo, Russia; cTierpark
Berlin-Friedrichsfelde GmbH, Berlin, Germany
84 Abstracts of Poster Presentations
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We present an acoustic approach for the reliable sexing in four whistling ducks from
the genus Dendrocygna and compare it with molecular and cloacal inspection techniques.
In the four examined species, the White-faced Whistling Duck D. viduata (WF), Fulvous
Whistling duck D. bicolor (FU), Cuban Whistling Duck D. arborea (CU) and Red-billed
Whistling Duck D. autumnalis (RB), visual sexing is impossible, except when observing
copulation. However all the four species show strong sexual differences in the structure of
their species-specific loud whistles. In the WF and FU, the maximum fundamental
frequency of the loud whistles was always much lower in males than in females. In
contrast, in the CU, the maximum fundamental frequency of males was always higher than
in females. In the RB, the mean duration of notes of the end trill of a loud whistle was
always longer in males than in females. In all the four species, the values of the measured
acoustic parameters did not overlap between sexes. For the 59 examined birds, an
acoustic-based sexing showed 100% accordance to the DNA PCR analysis, while a cloacal
inspection showed only 89.8% accuracy (in six cases, males were mistakenly identified as
females). The results demonstrate that acoustic sexing represents a feasible alternative to
the two traditional methods as a non-invasive tool for the distant sexing of the four
whistling duck species both in captivity and in the wild.
The energetics of singing in noise – metabolic and respiratory costs of increasing
song amplitude
S.A. Zollingera, F. Gollerb and H. Brummc
aUniversity of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK; bUniversity of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT,
USA; cMax Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
In an increasingly noisy world, animals that rely on acoustic communication are faced
with additional challenges in trying to make their signals heard. One response to a rise
in background noise is to make your signal louder. However, increasing vocal amplitude
to higher and higher levels may incur costs and is likely subject to physiological or
anatomic constraints. Previous studies in three different songbird species suggest that
the metabolic cost of song is fairly small relative to resting metabolic rate (requiring a
1.7–3.4-fold increase). Another study found that when subsyringeal air sac pressure was
experimentally reduced, song amplitude decreased. This suggests that singing louder
may require greater subsyringeal pressure, and potentially greater respiratory muscle
activity and/or greater volume of air than that needed to produce a quieter signal of equal
duration. Here we examine the potential costs of increasing song amplitude in Zebra
Finches Taeniopygia guttata singing in environments with different background noise
levels. For each 4 dB increase in background noise amplitude, birds significantly
increased their song amplitude. To test whether these amplitude increases required
associated increases in metabolic energy or subglottal air sac pressure, we measured
oxygen consumption, subsyringeal air sac pressure and song bout duration. We recorded
oxygen consumption by training birds to sing while wearing small, lightweight
respirometry helmets. Preliminary results suggest that oxygen consumption per motif
may increase with increasing amplitude, but within-bird variability for metabolic rate,
respiratory patterns and song duration in different noise conditions was high.
Bioacoustics 85
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