Search

The bulbul family Pycnonotidae is an Old-World group of tropical birds that plays important roles in tree seed dispersal. The behavior and vocalization of bulbuls have been studied only in a few species. The objective of the present study is to describe, for the first time, the acoustic and social behavior of three species of bulbuls of the genus Pycnonotus: the sooty-headed bulbul (P. aurigaster), the streak-eared bulbul (P. conradi), and the stripe-throated bulbul (P. finlaysoni). Field studies were conducted from November 2021 to May 2022 in Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai Province, Vietnam, where all three species are sympatric and tend to inhabit disturbed biotopes. We analyzed "observations," that is, a single record of a bird or a group of birds of a given species. During each observation (about 800 in total), the behavior of the birds was described and, when possible, vocalizations were recorded. The total duration of phonograms of all three species amounted to about 227 min. The sooty-headed and streak-eared bulbuls are social birds that maintained pairs throughout the year, but often, especially during the nonbreeding season, gathered in larger groups. Pair members and individuals from neighboring pairs maintained acoustic contact with each other all the time. To do so, they used calls: broadband calls (noise sounds without clear structure, but with a wide continuous frequency spectrum) emitted by streak-eared bulbuls, and tonal calls (musical sounds showing one clearly defined frequency) by sooty-headed bulbuls. Both these species were only rarely observed singing, this possibly being due to reduced territorial behavior in these birds. The stripe-throated bulbul differs from the other two in singing more frequently, along with producing calls, and song could be used for territorial purposes. We assume that territorial behavior is better expressed in stripe-headed bulbuls than in the other two species. However, even stripe-throated bulbuls did not react to playback-simulated territorial intrusion in our experiments. We assume that vocalizations play important roles in the communication of the three species because we noted these sounds or others in almost all observations. Moreover, we observed a general increase in vocal activity at the beginning of the breeding season (February–March). In addition, during this time, bulbuls were most often those to sing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amphibians of the Indonesian island of Sumatra are poorly known, despite it being recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. For determining conservation priorities, up-to-date knowledge of the state of amphibian diversity in Sumatra is crucial, particularly considering the high deforestation rate on the island. To address this, I compiled and analysed a comprehensive dataset for amphibians known from Sumatra, to identify knowledge gaps and assess the significance of these data for conservation on the island and, more broadly, across Indonesia. The compilation indicates there are 135 amphibian species currently recorded for Sumatra, 55% more than the number known in 1923. Approximately 44 species have been described since 2000. Associated data on larvae and calls is lacking for many species. Although 66% of the amphibians of Sumatra are categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, this may not represent the actual conservation status of these species because many of the assessments are outdated. In addition, 14% of species have not yet been evaluated. This study highlights the need for more comprehensive studies on the amphibians of Sumatra.

The amphibians of the Indonesian island of Sumatra are poorly known, despite it being recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. For determining conservation priorities, up-to-date knowledge of the state of amphibian diversity in Sumatra is crucial, particularly considering the high deforestation rate on the island. To address this, I compiled and analysed a comprehensive dataset for amphibians known from Sumatra, to identify knowledge gaps and assess the significance of these data for conservation on the island and, more broadly, across Indonesia. The compilation indicates there are 135 amphibian species currently recorded for Sumatra, 55% more than the number known in 1923. Approximately 44 species have been described since 2000. Associated data on larvae and calls is lacking for many species. Although 66% of the amphibians of Sumatra are categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, this may not represent the actual conservation status of these species because many of the assessments are outdated. In addition, 14% of species have not yet been evaluated. This study highlights the need for more comprehensive studies on the amphibians of Sumatra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acoustic repertoires of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) in the Mediterranean Sea are poorly understood. This study aims to create a catalogue of calls, analyse acoustic parameters, and propose a classification tree for future research. An acoustic database was compiled using recordings from the Alboran Sea, Gulf of Lion and Ligurian Sea (Western Mediterranean Basin) between 2008 and 2022, totalling 640 calls. Using a deep neural network, the calls were clustered based on frequency contour similarities, leading to the identification of 40 distinct call types defining the local population’s vocal repertoire. These categories encompass pulsed calls with varied complexities, from simplistic to highly intricate structures comprising multiple elements and segments. This study marks the initial documentation of the vocal catalogue of long-finned pilot whales in the Mediterranean Sea. Subsequent research should delve deeper into this multifaceted communication system and explore its potential linkages with social structures.

Abstract The reaction of birds to the nest parasite, the European cuckoo Cuculus canorus, has been the subject of extensive testing in various aspects. However, while the cuckoo is a long-distance migrant, some of its hosts are sedentary species. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether species, primarily hosts, react to the presence of the cuckoo also in the winter season. This behaviour may involve an attempt to drive the parasite away from locations that will subsequently become their breeding sites. During playback experiments conducted in the winter of 2021/2022 in Poland, we demonstrated that numerous bird species react to the male cuckoo calls in winter. These calls may be perceived as a source of danger, particularly by cuckoo hosts, who responded to this call more frequently than non-hosts and the control species (pigeon). Nonetheless, the birds’ reactions were not strong, as they did not approach the source of the call. However, our results are constrained by the limited number of cuckoo host species wintering in Poland. To better evaluate the intensity of bird responses to the male cuckoo’s call during the non-breeding season, further studies should be conducted in regions where a greater variety of species, especially those most susceptible to parasitism, overwinter.

Acoustic communication, such as bird song, is vital in animal ecology, facilitating reproduction, feeding, defense, and more. Variation in bird song may result from adaptation to environmental features such as anthropogenic noise. The vocal repertoire of raptors is essentially unstudied, particularly in urban environments. The aim of this work was to describe and quantify the acoustic repertoire of Chimango Caracaras (Milvago chimango) in rural and urban areas in La Pampa Province, Argentina. I recorded 26 1-min sound samples at each of four breeding colonies (one rural and three urban) during the austral reproductive season of 2021–2022. I recorded 241 vocalizations corresponding to nine clearly distinct call types. Two types of calls made up 50.6% and 19.5% of the vocalizations and seven others made up <10.0% each. Three call types had trills (fast repetitive notes). Average percentage of call types differed significantly between the two habitats (P < 0.01), with more trills produced in rural habitats. Average calling rate was 6.6 ± 5.1 calls/min at rural colonies and 10.7 ± 10.7 at urban colonies. The number of different call types produced was 2.1 ± 1.6 types/min at rural colonies and 2.7 ± 1.8 at urban colonies. The greater calling rate of Chimango Caracaras in urban areas may represent an attempt to improve signal effectiveness among the anthropogenic acoustic clutter. La comunicación acústica, como el canto de las aves, es vital en la ecología animal, al facilitar la reproducción, alimentación, defensa y otras actividades. La variación en el canto de las aves puede deberse a la adaptación a características ambientales como el ruido antropogénico. El repertorio vocal de las rapaces ha sido poco estudiado, especialmente en entornos urbanos. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir y cuantificar el repertorio acústico de Milvago chimango en áreas rurales y urbanas en la provincia de La Pampa, Argentina. Registré 26 muestras de sonido de 1 minuto de duración cada una provenientes de cuatro colonias reproductivas (una rural y tres urbanas) durante la temporada reproductora austral de 2021–2022. Registré 241 vocalizaciones correspondientes a nueve tipos de llamadas claramente distintas. Dos tipos de llamadas representaron el 50.6% y el 19.5% de las vocalizaciones y otras siete representaron <10.0% cada una. Tres tipos de llamadas tuvieron trinos (notas rápidas y repetitivas). Los porcentajes de tipos de llamadas difirieron significativamente entre los dos hábitats (P<0.01), con más trinos producidos en hábitats rurales. La tasa de llamadas fue de 6.6 ± 5.1 llamadas/minuto en colonias rurales y 10.7 ± 10.7 en colonias urbanas. El número de tipos de llamadas diferentes producidas fue de 2.1 ± 1.6 tipos/minuto en colonias rurales y 2.7 ± 1.8 en colonias urbanas. La mayor tasa de llamadas de M. chimango en áreas urbanas puede representar un intento de mejorar la efectividad de la señal ante la distorsión acústica antropogénica. [Traducción del equipo editorial] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: National suicide prevention strategies are general population-based approaches to prevent suicide by promoting help-seeking behaviors and implementing interventions. Crisis helplines are one of the suicide prevention resources available for public use, where individuals experiencing a crisis can talk to a trained volunteer. Samaritans UK operates on a national scale, with a number of branches located within each of the United Kingdom's 4 countries or regions. Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify any differences in call duration across the helpline service in order to determine whether service varied interregionally and intraregionally and to determine the impact of calls answered in the same region as the caller, compared with calls answered in a different region on the duration of calls made from landlines to Samaritans UK. Methods: Calls may be routed by Samaritans, wherein the telephony system sends the call to the next available volunteer, irrespective of location; therefore, individuals may be routed to a branch within the same region as the caller's current region (intraregional calls) or routed to a branch that is in a different region from that of the caller's current region (interregional calls). The origin of calls by region was identified using the landline prefix of the anonymized caller identifier, along with the region of the destination branch (as branch details are recorded in the call details record). First, a Levene's test of homogeneity of variance was carried out for each condition, that is, England calls and Scotland calls. Thereafter, for each condition, a one-way ANOVA or one-way analysis of means was carried out to evaluate any significant differences in call duration. Results: ANOVA results showed that there are significant differences in call durations between intraregional calls and interregional calls (P<.001). Across all conditions within this study, callers stayed on the phone for a shorter period of time when routed to a branch that is within the same region as the call origin than if they were put through to a branch within a different region than the call origin. Conclusions: Statistical analyses showed that there were significant differences between interregional and intraregional calls. On average, callers to crisis helplines stayed on the phone for a shorter period of time if they were routed to a branch within the same region in which the call originated than if they were routed to a branch in a different region of origin. The findings from this study have practical applications, which may allow crisis helplines to manage their resources more effectively and improve caller satisfaction with the service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Poland’s healthcare systems is based on insurance and universal and equal access. The first component of the system is primary healthcare. At night and on holidays, the medical help can be obtained by means of After Hours Medical Services. Private paid visits can also be arranged. In emergencies, and cases of risk to health or life, emergency medical team can be called at 112 or 999, or a patient can go to the hospital emergency department (ED) on their own. There are also pharmacies where selected over-the-counter medicines can be bought. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in the first quarter of 2023 using a proprietary questionnaire with 5 sociodemographic questions and 20 case descriptions for which the participants indicated the type of medical help which they would use. The expert panel prepared a set of cases (accidents and illnesses), taking into account patient’s age and gender, time of day and working days and holidays when the incident occurred. The group of participants was selected using the snowball sampling method. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using nonparametric tests, the Spearman’s rho test and the Wilcoxon test. The used significance level was p

INTRODUCTION: Poland's healthcare systems is based on insurance and universal and equal access. The first component of the system is primary healthcare. At night and on holidays, the medical help can be obtained by means of After Hours Medical Services. Private paid visits can also be arranged. In emergencies, and cases of risk to health or life, emergency medical team can be called at 112 or 999, or a patient can go to the hospital emergency department (ED) on their own. There are also pharmacies where selected over-the-counter medicines can be bought. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in the first quarter of 2023 using a proprietary questionnaire with 5 sociodemographic questions and 20 case descriptions for which the participants indicated the type of medical help which they would use. The expert panel prepared a set of cases (accidents and illnesses), taking into account patient's age and gender, time of day and working days and holidays when the incident occurred. The group of participants was selected using the snowball sampling method. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using nonparametric tests, the Spearman's rho test and the Wilcoxon test. The used significance level was p<0.05. RESULTS: The study comprised 233 participants (166 females and 66 males). The mean age was 25 years (SD ± 9.50). A significant correlation was showed between the decision made and the gender in case of stroke occurring on a weekday (p=0.042); stroke symptoms on a holiday (p=0.024); head injury in a child (p=0,024); chest pain in an adult (p=0.009), and also the place of residence in case of an infection in a child (p=0.008). The decision was also influenced by education in case of chest pain in an adult (p=0.048); stroke (p=0.046) and sudden weakness (p=0.009). Also performing a medical profession correlated with the decision in case of arterial hypertension (p=0.028) and chest pain (p=0.010) in adults. The type of day (working/holiday) and the time of day were also analysed, revealing statistical differences depending on the type and time of day for infection in a child (p<0.000 in each comparison); working day and holiday for abdominal pain (p=0.000), stroke (p=0.023), diarrhea (p<0.000) and weakness (p<0.000), and also depending on the time of day in arterial hypertension (p<0.000); however, no differences were found in case of chest pain depending on the time of day(p=0.073). CONCLUSIONS: Emergency medical teams are called both in urgent cases, such as stroke or chest pain, and also in cases that do not require an immediate responses, such as diarrhea or weakness. Solutions need to be sought which would provide information what healthcare system units should be used in specific situations. The EMTs are called more often during the day on weekdays than at night or on holidays. The ambulance service responds most often in emergency cases such as convulsions, stroke or chest pain, but a significant number of calls is related to cases of weakness or arterial hypertension where the medical help should be sought in other healthcare units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identity of adults and tadpoles of Ptychadena uzungwensis from the Soutpansberg range in northern South Africa was confirmed using a combination of morphological characters and molecular analysis. Detailed vocalisation analysis was made and used to complement existing species identification methods. This study confirms the presence of P. uzungwensis in South Africa. Sound recordings obtained by way of directional manual recordings were used to analyse call structure and call type while Passive Acoustic Monitoring with Song Meter® technology were used to survey circadian call patterns. Following confirmation of species identity, the detailed vocalisation analysis indicated a much more diverse repertoire than previously known. Three call types were observed with Type A consisting of two or three compressed notes; Type B consisting of a multi-note vocalisation, containing multiple pulses and notes produced in rapid succession; and Type C being a multi-note vocalisation consisting of rapidly released, randomly-spaced single notes. Detailed descriptions of call repertoires, including patterns and call types are useful for species identification and for use in comparison studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Katydids produce sound for signaling and communication by stridulation of the tegmina. Unlike crickets, most katydids are known to sing at ultrasonic frequencies. This has drawn interest in the investigation of the biophysics of ultrasonic sound production, detection, evolution, and ecology (including predator-prey interactions) of these katydids. However, most of these studies are based on species from the Neotropics, while little is known about katydid species from the hyperdiverse region of Southeast Asia. To address this, a concerted effort to document, record, and describe the calling songs of Southeast Asian katydids, especially species that call at ultrasonic frequencies, was made. A study spanning two years (2018-2020) in the Malay Peninsula (Singapore and Malaysia), Borneo (Brunei Darussalam and Sabah), and the Philippines revealed previously unknown calls of 24 katydid species from four subfamilies. The calling songs of Southeast Asian katydid species are highly diversified in terms of time and frequency. Call structure can range from isolated syllables (e.g., Holochlora), continuous trills (e.g., Axylus philippinus), to short pulse-trains (e.g., Euanisous teuthroides) and complex echemes (e.g., Conocephalus spp.), with 87.5% of species having ultrasonic peak frequencies and 12.5% being considered extreme ultrasonic callers (peak frequency >40 kHz). The call spectrum ranges from tonal (e.g., spectral entropy is 6.8 in Casigneta sp. 2) to resonant (entropy is 8.8 in Conocephalus cognatus). Of the 24 species whose calls are described here, we imaged and described the soundproducing structures of 18. This study provides a preliminary overview of the acoustic diversity of katydids in Southeast Asia, and the authors hope to inspire further investigation into the bioacoustics of little-known katydids from these areas. Amassing a database of calling songs and soundproducing organ illustrations from different species is important to address taxonomic impediments while advancing our knowledge about the bioacoustics of Southeast Asian katydids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bufoides kempi (Boulenger, 1919) known only from the two historical syntype specimens until now was rediscovered after more than a century from near its type locality in the Garo Hills, Meghalaya, northeastern India. Analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene reveals congenericity between B. kempi and B. meghalayanus with an inter-specific genetic divergence of 4.67%. Description of B. kempi is expanded based on the six male and two female specimens collected during this study. We provide the first description of calls for this genus, notes on their breeding biology and larval morphology. Additional specimens of B. meghalayanus collected during this study are described to supplement its characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Acoustic communication plays a key role in the life of birds and it is useful in phylogenetic and evolutionary investigations. This study described the structure and function of Polioptila dumicola´s call repertoire in riparian environments from the Mid-eastern of Argentina. Male calls (N=644) were recorded in the field during the pairs nuptial interactions; nests exploration and previously capture of male. Then, specific function was assigned to different calls using standardized methods of acoustic classification and behavioral observations. Twelve different types of calls were classified. Alert and call to female were the most frequent calls and they represented 12.04% and 10.24% of recordings. Anguish call was also recorded in this species. These are the first results regarding to the calls and repertoire of P. dumicola. These data could be used for new studies on environmental selection pressures and for conservation of this species and its habitats.

Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) are known to have large vocal repertoires, although no peer-reviewed study had thoroughly overviewed what vocalizations comprise such repertoires. Using 7,153 vocalizations, most of them recorded in central Kentucky, I document 36 Blue Jay vocalization types, provide spectrographs of 31 of them, and present their relative frequency of use. I suggest a hierarchical nomenclature that can be used to classify Blue Jay vocalizations and that can also be used to classify the vocalizations of other corvids. My depiction of the vocalizations of Blue Jays, and suggestion for a generalizable approach to nomenclature establishment, could help advance our knowledge of the functions of Blue Jay vocalizations and of the evolutionary history of them, especially in relation to the New World jay group. la chara Cyanocitta cristata son conocidas por tener amplios repertorios vocales, si bien no hay un estudio arbitrado que haga una reseña exhaustiva de qué vocalizaciones componen dichos repertorios. Usando 7,153 vocalizaciones, la mayoría grabadas en Kentucky central, documento 36 tipos de vocalizaciones de esta chara, presento espectrogramas de 31 de éstas y presento su frecuencia relativa de uso. Sugiero una nomenclatura jerárquica que puede ser usada para clasificar las vocalizaciones de esta chara y que también puede ser usada para clasificar las vocalizaciones de otros córvidos. Mi caracterización de las vocalizaciones de esta chara, y la sugerencia de un enfoque generalizable para establecer su nomenclatura, podrían ayudarnos a avanzar nuestro conocimiento de las funciones y la historia evolutiva de las vocalizaciones de esta chara, especialmente en relación al grupo de charas del Nuevo Mundo. Palabras clave: aves, aviar, comunicación, llamados, vocalización. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of experimental dietary exposure to the heavy metal Lead (Pb) on the calls of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) hatchlings were investigated in the present study. Trials with the heavy metal were conducted over three weeks (5 days of exposure, 3 days of non-exposure and 13 days of exposure) with two-week old hatchlings, following recommendations for exposure trials. A control trial was also included. The Pb concentrations in the prepared feed used in the exposure trials were 238, 389 and 532 µg kg-1. The daily food consumption was quantified to calculate the ingested amounts of the heavy metal. Calls of the hatchlings were recorded prior to exposure, and on days 5 and 21 of the exposure trial, and the sonograms were assessed for five endpoints --frequency of notes, duration of syllables, notes per syllable, inter-syllable duration and inter-note duration. Exposure to all three tested levels of Pb resulted in calls with shorter syllables and fewer notes. Changes were evident only at day 21. Both directional and hormetic responses were noted for the different endpoints. These findings highlight that vocalization patterns, which are relatively easily detected, could serve as an important noninvasive tool for monitoring Pb pollution in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan Journal for Legal Studies is the property of Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Conservation managers cannot manage what they don't know about, yet our existing biodiversity monitoring is idiosyncratic and small in scale. One of Australia's commitments to the Convention for Biological Diversity in 2015 was the creation of a national biodiversity monitoring programme. This has not yet occurred despite the urgent need to monitor common and threatened species, as highlighted by the challenges of determining the biodiversity impacts of the Black Summer fires of 2019/20. In light of improvements to automation, miniaturisation and powering devices, the world urgently needs to scale-up biodiversity monitoring to become coordinated, comprehensive and continuous across large scales. We propose the BIOMON project that could achieve this where individual sensor nodes use machine learning models to identify biodiversity via sound or photos onboard. This could be coupled with abiotic data on temperature and humidity, plus factors such as bushfire smoke. Nodes would be set within networks that transmit the results back to a central cloud repository where robust analyses are conducted and provided free to the public (along with the raw data). Network arrays could be set up across entire continents to measure the change in biodiversity. No one has achieved this yet, and significant challenges remain associated with training the algorithms, low power cellular network coverage, sensor power versus memory trade-offs, and sensor network placement. Much work is still needed to achieve these goals; however we are living in the 21st Century and such lofty goals cannot be achieved unless we start working towards them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birdsong has been the subject of broad research from a variety of sub‐disciplines and has taught us much about the evolution, function, and mechanisms driving animal communication and cognition. Typically, birdsong refers to the specialized vocalizations produced by oscines. Historically, much of the research on birdsong was conducted in north temperate regions (specifically in Europe and North America) leading to multiple biases. Due to these historic biases these vocalizations are generally considered to be highly sexually dimorphic, heavily shaped by sexual selection and essential for courtship and territoriality. Song is also typically defined as a learned trait shaped by cultural evolution. Together, this framework focuses research specifically on males, particularly during the north temperate breeding season – reflecting and thereby reinforcing this framework. The physiological underpinnings of song often emphasize the role of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (associated with breeding changes) and the song control system (underlying vocal learning). Over the years there has been great debate over which features of song are essential to the definition of birdsong, which features apply broadly to contexts outside males in the north temperate region, and over the importance of having a definition at all. Importantly, the definitions we use can both guide and limit the progress of research. Here, we describe the history of these definitions, and how these definitions have directed and restricted research to focus on male song in sexually selected contexts. Additionally, we highlight the gaps in our scientific knowledge, especially with respect to the function and physiological mechanisms underlying song in females and in winter, as well as in non‐seasonally breeding species. Furthermore, we highlight the problems with using complexity and learning as dichotomous variables to categorize songs and calls. Across species, no one characteristic of song – sexual dimorphism, seasonality, complexity, sexual selection, learning – consistently delineates song from other songbird vocal communication. We provide recommendations for next steps to build an inclusive information framework that will allow researchers to explore nuances in animal communication and promote comparative research. Specifically, we recommend that researchers should operationalize the axis of variation most relevant to their study/species by identifying their specific question and the variable(s) of focus (e.g. seasonality). Researchers should also identify the axis (axes) of variation (e.g. degree of control by testosterone) most relevant to their study and use language consistent with the question and axis (axes) of variation (e.g. control by testosterone in the seasonal vocal production of birds). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian black francolin (Francolinus francolinus asiae) is an important bird species in the northwestern Himalayan region, inhabiting diverse subtropical to lower temperate habitat types. The relative abundance, habitat preference, and some aspects of breeding ecology are studied here at eleven sites in different habitat types along elevation gradient. The abundance of species at different altitude was worked both through transect trails of different lengths and point counts at some spots. At each study site, maximum activity habitats were marked and selected for breeding ecology study. Sighting of black francolin was minimal in April (0.585±0.185 birds/Km) and maximum in May (2.339±0.015 birds/Km). Data on breeding timings, nest site selection, clutch size, incubation period, and hatching success were collected. Breeding period of black francolin extended from March up to late July with peak egg-laying between May to June. Twelve nests were monitored throughout the breeding season using binoculars from a distance and camera traps, wherever possible and without disturbing the species. The average size of nest was 20.063±1.452 cm ranging from of 18.80 cm to 22.30 cm in width. Mean clutch size was 5.417±0.793 eggs/nest. The hatching success was 86.15% with 56 successfully hatched eggs, whereas the fledging success was 83.92%.

Copyright of Cahiers Victoriens & Edouardiens is the property of Presses Universitaires de la Mediterranee and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research on avian vocalisations has traditionally focused on male song produced by oscine passerines. However, accumulating evidence indicates that complex vocalisations can readily evolve outside the traditional contexts of mate attraction and territory defence by male birds, and yet the previous bias towards male song has shaped – and continues to shape – our understanding of avian communication as a whole. Accordingly, in this review we seek to address this imbalance by synthesising studies on female vocalisations from across signalling contexts throughout the Aves, and discuss the implications of recent empirical advances for our understanding of vocalisations in both sexes. This review reveals great structural and functional diversity among female vocalisations and highlights the important roles that vocalisations can play in mediating female‐specific behaviours. However, fundamental gaps remain. While there are now several case studies that identify the function of female vocalisations, few quantify the associated fitness benefits. Additionally, very little is known about the role of vocal learning in the development of female vocalisations. Thus, there remains a pressing need to examine the function and development of all forms of vocalisations in female birds. In the light of what we now know about the functions and mechanisms of female vocalisations, we suggest that conventional male‐biased definitions of songs and calls are inadequate for furthering our understanding of avian vocal communication more generally. Therefore, we propose two simple alternatives, both emancipated from the sex of the singer. The first distinguishes song from calls functionally as a sexually selected vocal signal, whilst the second distinguishes them mechanistically in terms of their underlying neurological processes. It is clear that more investigations are needed into the ultimate and proximate causes of female vocalisations; however, these are essential if we are to develop a holistic epistemology of avian vocal communication in both sexes, across ecological contexts and taxonomic divides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocalisations can be used as reliable indicators of pain, but little information is available in rabbits, where acoustic tools for farming environments can be used for welfare judgements. The aim of this study was to compare vocalisations produced during copula ejaculation and electro-ejaculation (EE), with or without general anaesthesia, in domestic rabbits. Vocalisations of nine New Zealand white adult males were digitally recorded. The number of males vocalising and vocal characteristics including high, low, maximum and fundamental frequencies and duration of the vocalisations were analysed. There were no differences in the number of males vocalising or any vocalisation parameter between the 1st and 2nd ejaculation while copulating, even though the fundamental frequency increased in all males in the 2nd ejaculation (P=0.008). More males vocalised while mating than while being electro-ejaculated (P=0.03), and all vocalisation parameters were greater during EE than while mating (P=0.004). The use or not of anaesthesia during EE did not modify any of the parameters evaluated. It was concluded that: 1) more males vocalised during copula ejaculation than while being electro-ejaculated; 2) bio-acoustic analysis allowed us to identify aversive utterance vocalisations, which are characterised with higher frequencies, that those from non-aversive stimulus; and 3) at least with the anaesthetic combination and the responses studied, anaesthesia had no effect on the acoustic characteristics of the vocalisation emitted during EE in rabbits.

Abstract Vocal communication is an important method squirrels (Sciuridae) use to transfer information from one individual to others. While behaviors associated with vocal communication have been explored in individual species or single call‐types in specific groups of squirrels, no comprehensive review of these behaviors exists for Sciuridae. Herein, I review the current literature to describe behaviors associated with vocal communication in three groups of squirrels: ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels. I discuss the behavioral functions of squirrel vocalizations. A wide variety of behaviors are associated with particular call‐types produced by squirrels, including alarm, agonistic, discomfort, affiliative, mating, and neonatal calls. There are large knowledge gaps in cataloging the vocal repertoires and associated behaviors of many species of squirrels, including commonly studied species such as marmots and ground squirrels, as alarm calls are typically focused on and other call‐types are understudied or ignored. Since vocal communication is important to the development, reproduction, and survival of squirrels, further understanding the biological and ecological drivers behind vocal repertoires is critical to evaluating the ethology of this family as a whole.

How the police prepare for and engage with a citizen who is deaf and uses British Sign Language (BSL) is a national problem. From the perspective of deaf sign language users, the police remain largely inaccessible and unprepared in how to accommodate their linguistic needs. Four regional forces have responded to this issue by introducing a local solution, a bespoke 101 non-emergency video relay service (101VRS). Independent VRS companies function as the auxiliary service, mediating video calls to a 101 helpline. This service was identified as a simple solution that relied on minimal resourcing and input from the police. In using Pinch and Bijker's social construction of technology (SCOT) framework, we look at competing interpretations of the 101VRS concept and how this has led to a range of intended and unintended solutions and problems (Pinch TJ and Bijker WE (1984) The social construction of facts and artefacts: or how the sociology of science and the sociology of technology might benefit each other. Social Studies of Science 14(3): 399–441). To maintain the investment in improving access to the police, we recommend harmonization of 101VRS nationally, and ongoing consultation with how front-line services can become better prepared at assisting deaf citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocal communication is an important method squirrels (Sciuridae) use to transfer information from one individual to others. While behaviors associated with vocal communication have been explored in individual species or single call‐types in specific groups of squirrels, no comprehensive review of these behaviors exists for Sciuridae. Herein, I review the current literature to describe behaviors associated with vocal communication in three groups of squirrels: ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and flying squirrels. I discuss the behavioral functions of squirrel vocalizations. A wide variety of behaviors are associated with particular call‐types produced by squirrels, including alarm, agonistic, discomfort, affiliative, mating, and neonatal calls. There are large knowledge gaps in cataloging the vocal repertoires and associated behaviors of many species of squirrels, including commonly studied species such as marmots and ground squirrels, as alarm calls are typically focused on and other call‐types are understudied or ignored. Since vocal communication is important to the development, reproduction, and survival of squirrels, further understanding the biological and ecological drivers behind vocal repertoires is critical to evaluating the ethology of this family as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virginia Woolf was a keen preserver of some Victorian values, and among these the art of Charles Dickens, with his representation of London, its voices, sounds, music and noises. Dickens’s Little Dorrit and its closing sentence opens up my critical track by suggesting that Woolf’s reconstruction of the past must give to Victorian sounds a role that is neither ancillary nor merely impressionistic. This article focuses on Woolf’s portrayal of Victorian urban life in her fiction, especially in The Years (1937), where London sounds are everywhere present and deployed to create the polyphony—an exciting cacophony in modernist terms—of the great city. In Woolf’s fiction sounds are meant to convey symbolic meanings, to bring myth to the foreground, while also adding to the realism of the text. Sounds function like the many voices of an organ—the baroque instrument par excellence—suggesting at once order and chaos, norm and transgression: they frame representation and yet also break the frame by directly affecting the reader. This effect of discordia concors as acoustic experience is implemented within the verbal context, emphasizing the dialogic relationship between the source of sound, its reception, and the performative function sounds obtain within the texture of The Years.

Our understanding of the behavioral and physiological mechanisms of monogamy largely comes from studies of behavioral interactions unique to pair-bonded individuals. By focusing on these highly marked behaviors, a remarkable conservation in the mechanisms underlying pair bonding has been revealed; however, we continue to know very little about the range of behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms that could explain the great diversity of pair-bonding phenotypes that exists both within and across species. In order to capture the dynamic nature of bonds over time and across contexts, we need specific, operationally-defined behavioral variables relevant across such a diversity of scenarios. Additionally, we need to be able to situate these behavioral variables within broader frameworks that allow us to interpret and compare patterns seen across species. Here I review what is known about behavioral synchrony with respect to pair bonding and discuss using synchrony as such a variable as well as a framework to expand on our understanding of pair bonding across timescales, contexts and species. First, I discuss the importance of behavioral synchrony and parental coordination for reproductive success in monogamous biparental bird species. Second, I highlight research documenting the critical importance of interpersonal coordination for human social relationships. Finally, I present recent work that experimentally bridges these lines of research by quantifying moment-to-moment behavioral synchrony during brief social interactions in zebra finch dyads. All together, these distinct perspectives support the notion that synchrony (1) is a shared premise for sociality across species, (2) is deeply shaped by social experiences, and (3) exists across timescales, behaviors, and levels of physiology. Conceptualizing pair bonding through the framework of behavioral synchrony is likely to facilitate a deeper understanding of the nuances of how social experiences and interactions impact the brain and behavior.

Development of digital economy of Russia is influenced by regularly arising calls and threats. The sphere of their emergence extensive and difficult predicted. The reasons of their emergence are connected with prob-lems of development of digital economy. In article the calls and threats arising on the way of development of digital economy which can rather conditionally be united in two groups are considered: the first group - organi-zational, technical and technological and the second group - information security. Similar division of the arising calls and threats promotes definition and the choice of forms and methods of fight against each of them. In article development barriers which often are a subject of calls and threats are considered and generalized. The first barrier - unavailability of the enterprises and organizations to be engaged in development of production and representation of services with use of network technologies. The second barrier is the lack of the qualified IT experts. The third barrier - ensuring cyber security. The fourth - threat of mass unemployment owing to introduction and development of IT technologies. Further the threats and calls connected with overcoming the fourth barrier, concerning perspective changes of labor market, the increasing role and influence of robotics are in more detail considered. Besides, increase of changes upon completion of which, by different estimates, tech-nologies of the Industry 4.0 will lead about 610 000 jobs to reduction is noted begun in the industry, under the influence of technological shift, but during the same period can also about 960 000 new vacancies will appear. A number of risks which are born in itself by «digitalization» and which are connected with possible loss of national originality, culture and language are considered. In article measures which, as a result of their application will allow to operate the arising technological hazards are brought and recommended and to increase the general scientific and technological level. Management of the arising calls and threats is a component of management of development of digital economy, but there are some features connected with uncertainty of their emergence both on time and in the direction and in the place. But it doesn’t exclude a possibility of risk management and threats according to the scheme of manage-ment of development of digital economy of an object

This note describes the advertisement calls of Rhaebo haematiticus, recorded in Tobar Donoso, province of Carchi‒Ecuador, providing for the first time a quantitative analysis of its spectral and temporal variables. The calls of three populations were analyzed and compared with calls of Rhaebo blombergi and Rhaebo guttatus, two species of the genus Rhaebo present in Ecuador for which acoustic descriptions were available. The results indicate unique interspecific features and intraspecific variations in the advertisement calls, which should suggest the revision of the R. haematiticus as a complex of cryptic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of the behavioral and physiological mechanisms of monogamy largely comes from studies of behavioral interactions unique to pair-bonded individuals. By focusing on these highly marked behaviors, a remarkable conservation in the mechanisms underlying pair bonding has been revealed; however, we continue to know very little about the range of behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms that could explain the great diversity of pair-bonding phenotypes that exists both within and across species. In order to capture the dynamic nature of bonds over time and across contexts, we need specific, operationally-defined behavioral variables relevant across such a diversity of scenarios. Additionally, we need to be able to situate these behavioral variables within broader frameworks that allow us to interpret and compare patterns seen across species. Here I review what is known about behavioral synchrony with respect to pair bonding and discuss using synchrony as such a variable as well as a framework to expand on our understanding of pair bonding across timescales, contexts and species. First, I discuss the importance of behavioral synchrony and parental coordination for reproductive success in monogamous biparental bird species. Second, I highlight research documenting the critical importance of interpersonal coordination for human social relationships. Finally, I present recent work that experimentally bridges these lines of research by quantifying moment-to-moment behavioral synchrony during brief social interactions in zebra finch dyads. All together, these distinct perspectives support the notion that synchrony (1) is a shared premise for sociality across species, (2) is deeply shaped by social experiences, and (3) exists across timescales, behaviors, and levels of physiology. Conceptualizing pair bonding through the framework of behavioral synchrony is likely to facilitate a deeper understanding of the nuances of how social experiences and interactions impact the brain and behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of ‘illocutionary silencing’ has been given a key role in defining the harms of pornography by several feminist philosophers. Though the literature on silencing focuses almost exclusively on the speech act of sexual refusal, oddly enough, it lacks a thorough analysis of that very act. My first aim is to fill this theoretical gap. I claim that refusals are “second-turn illocutions”: they cannot be accomplished in absence of a previous interrogative (or open) call by the hearer. Furthermore, I maintain that refusals constitute authoritative illocutions only when preceded by requests for permission. The secondary goal of my paper is to assess Mary Kate McGowan’s (2009) account of silencing as authority denial. Despite its virtues, I argue that ultimately it should be rejected on two grounds: (i) it entails an objectification of female sexuality; (ii) if sexual advances are requests for permission (as McGowan implies), a man who asks a woman for sex cannot fail to ratify her authority over her own body. I conclude by sketching an alternative explanation for the failure of women’s refusals, according to which women may be unable to refuse sex for their interlocutors’ advances are intended as imperative (or closed) calls.

In the current moment that we are living now, the use of Big Data is taken a strength and a very important relevance. The biggest companies of social sector and service sector are using Big Data technologies that allow to store and treat all the information that they have of users and, in a second way, the incorporation of the knowledge of the treatment of this information in the life of the users, in the way of improve the services offered and go to the next step in the relationship of customer/company. In telecare, with the IP technology in Telecare Unit, the communication between the unit and control centre will be done using internet instead of telephony cable. The companies will start to use these technologies to store all the information that the unit will send to the control center. With all this information, the companies will be able to discover patterns of user’s behavior, detect some illnesses like, for example, alzheimer. The most important action that the companies will be able to have is to have more information related to the situation of all devices and sensors installed in user’s home when the emergency alarm is raised.

Bigg’s killer whales (Orcinus orca; i.e. ‘transient’ ecotype), as apex predators, are important to the dynamics of marine ecosystems, but little is known about their population structure in western Alaska. Currently, all Bigg’s killer whales in western Alaska are ascribed to a single broad stock for management under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act. However, recent nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA analyses indicate that this stock is likely comprised of genetically distinct sub-populations. In accordance with what is known about killer whale vocal dialects in other locations, we used the spatial distribution of group-specific call types to investigate the population structure of Bigg’s killer whales in this part of Alaska. Digital audio recordings were collected from 33 Bigg’s killer whale encounters throughout the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands in the summers of 2001-2007 and 2009-2010. Recorded calls were qualitatively classified into discrete types and then quantitatively described using 12 structural and time-frequency measures. Resulting call categories were validated using a random forest approach. A total of 36 call types and subtypes were identified across the entire study area, and regional patterns of call type use revealed three distinct dialects which correspond to proposed genetic delineations. Our results suggest that there are at least three acoustically and genetically distinct sub-populations in western Alaska, and we present an initial catalogue for this area describing the regional vocal repertoires of Bigg’s killer whale call types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocal signals are important in territoriality and mate attraction across animal taxa. Vocalizations are particularly elaborate in some groups, such as songbirds, which learn their songs, but much remains to be known about the physiological mechanisms that produce variation, especially in vocalizations of nonlearners. We address the extent that androgen treatment of female and juvenile golden-collared manakins, Manacus vitellinus , activate the male-like 'chee-poo' vocalization to determine (1) the extent that the vocal circuitry is developed and sensitive to androgens in females and (2) to identify the characteristics, including finer acoustic features, of vocal behaviour that are influenced by androgens in females and young males. We analysed recordings of nonbreeding females and juvenile males given implants containing testosterone (T) or blank implants during a period of 3 weeks in an outdoor aviary in Panama. T-treated females, but not control females, produced chee-poos, and their vocalizations showed consistent differences in acoustic features from those of males. This indicates that the neuromuscular systems are well developed or relatively rapidly developed in response to T administration in females. Both T-treated and control juvenile males produced chee-poos, although vocal production was higher in the treatment group. Surprisingly, T treatment of juvenile males resulted in chee-poos with increased acoustic similarity to those of females, such as increased duration and frequency bandwidth. These features may indicate an important role for chee-poos in aggressive interactions. Future work will address the contributions of central and peripheral components in vocal variation in golden-collared manakins. Highlights • Sexual selection is often associated with the elaboration of male vocal signals. • Androgens guide sex differences in vocal output during early development. • Testosterone activated 'male-like' vocalizations in female golden-collared manakins. • Testosterone also influenced fine acoustic structure of juvenile male vocalizations. • Androgens may influence variation in vocal structure centrally or peripherally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information technologies at the threshold of the third decade of the 21st century represent a significant factor in the psychosocial development of children and youth. The content presented by the media (using contemporary audio-visual effects) ranges from informative, through educational, entertainment, to sensational and shocking. Media content draws attention and leaves a strong impression on children, and often, provokes reactions of agitation. Children are trying to find ways to overcome this anxiety using a variety of strategies, and one of them is the need to talk about it. On the national child's line, a modern telephone and counseling support service for children and young people, there is a tendency for an increased number of calls from children that are presumed to be related to certain media events. This paper will present findings of research on the impact of disturbing media content on children as well as observations by children's counselors on calls related to sensationalist media content. The findings will be interpreted in relation to children's reactions and strategies for overcoming feelings of distress with calls during discussions with telephone counselors on the child's line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Crake vocalizations are described and compared to previous published records, as are observations of dietary items and interactions with other birds in the same habitat. An instance of site fidelity in extreme circumstances is given, together with an appendix of potential Black Crake predators sharing the same environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for wind energy facilities to affect species of grouse In the grasslands of the Great Plains of North America Is a conservation concern. Communication by male Greater Prairie-Chickens [Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) Is essential for lek mating displays and Includes low-frequency vocalizations that could be disrupted by wind turbine noise. We studied the effects of wind turbine noise on the boom, cackle, whine, and whoop vocalizations of male Greater Prairie-Chickens recorded at 14 leks located 703 m to 23 km away from a wind energy facility near Ainsworth, Brown County, Nebraska, USA, In 2013 and 2014. First, we assessed ambient sound levels at our study sites. Wind turbine noise contributed to the soundscape; leks <1,000 m from wind turbines had higher levels of ambient sound than expected on the basis of recordings obtained at remote locations. Our second objective was to determine whether the acoustic characteristics of the 4 vocalizations recorded near the wind energy facility differed from those recorded farther away. At leks within 1,000 m of the wind energy facility, boom and whoop sound pressure levels were higher (boom 2% higher; whoop 5% higher), boom duration was 3% shorter, whine fundamental frequency was 11% higher, and blphonatlons In cackle vocalizations occurred 15% less often. These differences suggest that male Greater Prairie-Chickens adjust the acoustic properties of their vocalizations In response to the sounds generated by turbines at wind energy facilities. The effect of the adjustments reported here on the mating success of males near wind energy facilities remains to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Courtship displays often involve the concerted production of several distinct courtship behaviors. The neural circuits that enable the concerted production of the component behaviors of a courtship display are not well understood. Here, we identify a midbrain cell group (A11) that enables male zebra finches to produce their learned songs in concert with various other behaviors, including female-directed orientation, pursuit, and calling. Anatomical mapping reveals that A11 is at the center of a complex network including the song premotor nucleus HVC as well as brainstem regions crucial to calling and locomotion. Notably, lesioning A11 terminals in HVC blocked female-directed singing but did not interfere with female-directed calling, orientation, or pursuit. In contrast, lesioning A11 cell bodies strongly reduced and often abolished all female-directed courtship behaviors. However, males with either type of lesion still produced songs when in social isolation. Lastly, imaging calcium-related activity in A11 terminals in HVC showed that during courtship, A11 signals HVC about female-directed calls and during female-directed singing, about the transition from simpler introductory notes to the acoustically more complex syllables that depend intimately on HVC for their production. These results show how a brain region important to reproduction in both birds and mammals enables holistic courtship displays in male zebra finches, which include learning songs, calls, and other non-vocal behaviors. [Display omitted] • A midbrain cell group (A11) enables a male zebra finch's holistic courtship display • A11 projects widely to brain regions important for singing, calling, and locomotion • Males without A11 terminals in the song region produce a songless courtship display • Males that lack A11 fail to produce any courtship behaviors but sing when alone Male zebra finches court female finches using songs, calls, and pursuit. Ben-Tov et al. identify a midbrain cell group (A11) in the male finch that connects with brain regions important for singing, calling, locomotion, and reproduction, thus enabling the male to generate a holistic courtship display comprising songs, calls, and non-vocal behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research on animal communication has addressed how costs or constraints determined by the oxidative status of an individual can assure the honesty of visual signals, such as sexually selected color ornaments. However, acoustic communication has been largely overlooked in this respect. Here, we describe the few available studies that have considered the role of oxidative status in mediating vocal behavior in adult and nestling birds. Further, we discuss the theoretical principles of how the honesty of avian acoustic signals may be maintained by an organism’s oxidative status. We here distinguish between studies that considered songs and begging calls as indicators of oxidative status and studies where vocalizations were assumed to be the source of oxidative costs. We outline experimental and methodological issues related to the study of bird vocalizations and oxidative stress and describe opportunities for future work in this field of research. Investigating the interactions between acoustic signals and redox state may help address some unresolved questions in avian vocalization, thereby increasing our understanding of the evolutionary pressures shaping animal communication. Finally, we argue that it will be important to extend this line of research beyond birds and include other taxa as well.

There are relatively few quantitative descriptive studies of the vocalisations and vocal behaviour of tropical bird species, in spite of the tropic's rich avian biodiversity and the extensive variety of vocalisations produced by tropical birds. This lack of information inhibits our understanding of tropical animals, including our ability to perform comparative analyses on vocal behaviours from an evolutionary perspective. In this study, we present the first quantitative description of the vocal repertoire and daily vocal activity of White-eared Ground-sparrows ( Melozone leucotis), using focal and autonomous recordings collected during two consecutive breeding seasons in Costa Rica. We classified vocalisations into categories based on their visual appearance on sound spectrograms to create a library of vocalisations for this species. We found that White-eared Ground-sparrows produce three main categories of vocalisations: solo songs, calls, and duets. Solo songs were produced only by males. Each male sang a repertoire of solo song types, which all shared the same general structure with short introductory notes, a frequency-modulated middle section, and a terminal trill. Both sexes produce calls and coordinated vocal duets. We quantified patterns of diel variation in each category of vocalisation, and found that the Ground-sparrows produced all three vocalisations at higher output at dawn (between 0500 and 0600 hours) compared to the rest of the day. This study allowed us to conduct the first comparisons of vocalisations between White-eared Ground-sparrows and North American species in the genus Melozone, and revealed both similarities and differences between the species groups. Our investigation also showed that vocalisations related to communication within pairs and to territory defence (calls and duets) exhibited lower levels of individual distinctiveness than vocalisations related mainly to female attraction (male solo songs). Our observations suggest that each of the three types of vocalisations have multiple functions in White-eared Ground-sparrows, revealing diverse communication functions with a small vocal repertoire in this tropical songbird. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research exists examining interactions between law enforcement officers (LEOs) and autistic individuals. The present study includes responses from 130 LEOs who participated in autism-specific training and completed surveys assessing professional experiences responding to calls that involved individuals with known autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. The purpose of the present study was to determine the types of incidents LEOs respond to involving autistic people, and the level of force used in response to the incident. Analysis revealed four categories captured the majority of reported incidents: disruptive behavior, suspected abuse/neglect, elopement, and noncriminal behavior. The most commonly reported responses by LEOs included providing support and extreme controlling behaviors, with female officers more likely to report utilizing supportive behaviors and less force compared to male counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans and animals communicate in various non-linguistic modes of communication. This multi-channelled form of communication seems to be characteristic of humans, and involves facial expression, calls/gestures, music and dance, as well as symbolic language; and seems likely to depend, in part, on the psychological mechanisms of projection and projective identification. This article attempts to reflect on the relation between these evolved forms of human communication, both linguistic and non-verbal, in terms of the unconscious as discovered by Freud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field technique to identify sex is critical for facilitating conservation of species where declines are potentially unequal between the sexes. Although morphometrics are often used to sex individuals in the field, for many tropical and seabird species there is extensive morphometric overlap between the sexes. Accurate sexing of individual birds for research and conservation is thus reliant on genetic analysis, which is not instantly available. In this study we use an endangered tropical bird, the Ma'oma'o (Mao) ( Gymnomyza samoensis), as a case study to investigate reliable methods for accurately determining sex in the field for a species with extensive sexual morphometric overlap. We provide the first comprehensive description of its vocalizations and morphology and examine whether individuals of this apparently sexually monomorphic species can be accurately sexed using three features: morphometrics, eye color, and vocalizations. Acoustic analysis, which measured the central frequency of Ma'oma'o alarm calls, allowed sex of all sampled individuals to be correctly identified and was the most accurate mechanism for sexing Ma'oma'o in the field. Our results also indicated that despite high morphometric overlap binomial generalised linear models enabled 54% of the Ma'oma'o to be sexed with 95% confidence in the hand. Individuals that had a high probability of being incorrectly sexed could also be identified. Eye color did not allow strict delineation of the sexes, although the only birds with blue eyes were adult males. We propose that using vocalizations to differentiate sex should be investigated further in other bird species. Not only can it provide an accurate method which does not require capture, but it may also be useful when combined with automatic sound recorders for monitoring sex ratios in bird populations where the greater decline of one sex is suspected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the structure and patterns of vocalizations in primates is important to understand their evolution, responses to changing environments, and social behavior, and to design efficient vocalization-based survey techniques. Gibbons (Hylobatidae) are small arboreal apes known for their stereotyped songs. Data on their vocalization patterns remain limited, especially for crested gibbons ( Nomascus spp.). We recorded songs of white-cheeked gibbons ( Nomascus sp.) heard from listening posts at a site in Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area, central-eastern Laos, during a cold dry and a warm dry season, from November 2013 to May 2014, along with weather data. Males typically initiated the duet songs at a mean time of 06:14 h. Duet song bouts lasted a mean of 16 min. Song bout length was relatively constant throughout the study but decreased with the occurrence of wind. On a given day, the first male song started at a mean of 12 min before sunrise and all songs ceased at a mean of 13 min after sunrise. The start time of the first song relative to sunrise did not differ significantly between the two seasons but we found a significant negative relationship between the start time of the first song and both time of sunrise and temperature. The mean number of song bouts heard was significantly larger during the cold dry season than the warm dry season, and we found a significant negative relationship between the number of song bouts heard and temperature. Song rates also increased during days with no rain relative to rainy days. Our findings provide a preliminary understanding of song patterns in Nomascus spp. and can aid the planning and interpretation of surveys that rely on documenting their calls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Generally speaking, playbacks were often ineffective to determine the group sizes of birds since mainly males from leks responded. This limitation has not been tested properly for flocking birds such as Crested Guineafowl (Guttera edouardi) with the view to use it as a counting method. The aims of the study reported in this paper were (1) to describe the calls of Crested Guineafowl in a social context; (2) to interpret calls in an evolutionary context; and (3) to demonstrate that playbacks can be used to locate and count Crested Guineafowl in small isolated forests. Methods: The vocal behavior of Crested Guineafowl was observed during a survey conducted in the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) from November 2010 to June 2012. Transect line observations and sound playback methods were used. Results: The behavioral context and structure of calls were described. The eight calls described for Crested Guineafowl were produced mainly to unite flock members in the dense understory, where visibility was poor, and to repel intruders. When not disturbed, Crested Guineafowl were quiet and only made soft contact calls. Conclusions: The high rate of call back and the fact that flocks invariably approach the source of the call en masse, shows that field researchers are able to assess the population size of Crested Guineafowl with sound playbacks along a transect. The value of playbacks as a conservation tool is assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined recordings from a 15-month (May 2009-July 2010) continuous acoustic data set collected from a bottom-mounted passive acoustic recorder at a sample frequency of 6 kHz off Portland, Victoria, Australia (38°33′01″S, 141°15′13″E) off southern Australia. Analysis revealed that calls from both subspecies were recorded at this site, and general additive modeling revealed that the number of calls varied significantly across seasons. Antarctic blue whales were detected more frequently from July to October 2009 and June to July 2010, corresponding to the suspected breeding season, while Australian blue whales were recorded more frequently from March to June 2010, coinciding with the feeding season. In both subspecies, the number of calls varied with time of day; Antarctic blue whale calls were more prevalent in the night to early morning, while Australian blue whale calls were detected more often from midday to early evening. Using passive acoustic monitoring, we show that each subspecies adopts different seasonal and daily call patterns which may be related to the ecological strategies of these subspecies. This study demonstrates the importance of passive acoustics in enabling us to understand and monitor subtle differences in the behavior and ecology of cryptic sympatric marine mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-frequency traffic noise that leads to acoustic masking of vocalizations may cause birds to alter the frequencies or other components of their vocalizations in order to be heard by conspecifics and others. Altering parts of a vocalization may result in poorer vocal performance or the message contained in the vocalization being received incorrectly. During the winters of 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, we recorded and measured the ' chick-a-dee' call of Black-capped Chickadees ( Poecile atricapillus) and the ' po-ta-to-chip' call of American Goldfinches ( Spinus tristis) to determine whether components of the calls produced in areas of high traffic noise and low traffic noise differed in any way. We found that both chickadee and goldfinch calls had higher minimum frequencies in areas with high traffic-noise than in low traffic-noise areas. The maximum frequencies showed no differences in either species' calls. This suggests that chickadees and goldfinches alter the part of their calls that are acoustically masked by traffic noise in effort to better transmit the vocalization. These differences suggest that increasing anthropogenic noise may influence avian communication and that noise management should be included in conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]