Anthropogenic noise masking diminishes house wren <i>(Troglodytes aedon)</i> song transmission in urban natural areas

Grabarczyk, Erin E.; Gill, Sharon A.

doi:10.1080/09524622.2019.1621209

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Prior to house wren arrival on the breeding grounds, we arranged nest boxes ( N = 96) into 16 networks, each containing six nest boxes in areas of open habitat near a forest edge. Within networks, boxes were arranged into hexagons, placing adjacent boxes at a 60° angle and separating them by 45–50 m. Networks were separated by at least 150 m to minimize detection of long‐distance male songs between networks (Grabarczyk & Gill, 2019b). Networks varied in spatial proximity to anthropogenic noise sources such as local roads and highways (Grabarczyk & Gill, 2019b, 2020) and therefore differed in ambient noise levels (Supporting Information).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both pink noise and simulated intruder playback were broadcast at 76 dBA measured with a SPL meter at 1 m, fast averaging mode (American Recorder Technology SPL‐8810; Supporting Information). We selected 76 dBA for playbacks because paired male house wrens sing at this amplitude (Grabarczyk & Gill, 2019b) and noise playbacks broadcast >80 dBA completely mask the songs of males singing nearby, preventing analysis of song traits (Grabarczyk et al., 2018).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After egg‐laying, singing behavior is variable, but generally males sing more during incubation and nestling stages (Johnson & Kermott, 1991; Rendall & Kaluthota, 2013). At any stage, high levels of noise masking significantly decrease the distance over which male long‐distance songs transmit, such that signals may not be detected beyond the boundary of a male's own territory (Grabarczyk & Gill, 2019b, 2020). Females produce a variety of signal types, but overall sing at lower rates than males (Johnson & Kermott, 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anthropogenic noise affects female, not male house wren response to change in signaling network

et al. 2020

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Vocal signals mediate social relationships, and among networks of territorial animals, information is often shared via broadcast vocalizations. Anthropogenic noise may disrupt communication among individuals within networks, as animals change the way they vocalize in noise. Furthermore, constraints on signal transmission, including frequency masking and distance, may affect information exchange following a disruption in social networks. We tested the hypothesis that signaling interactions within networks of breeding male and female house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) depend on distance, ambient noise, and receiver nesting stage. We used playback experiments to simulate territorial intrusions with and without noise playbacks on the territories of established males and simultaneously recorded the vocal responses of neighbors. To examine whether intrusions impacted interactions between males, we used randomization tests to determine whether treatment, distance, noise, or nesting stage affected vocal coordination between challenged and neighboring males. We also quantified singing patterns to explore whether intrusions on territories of challenged males affected singing by males and females on neighboring territories. Males sang at the lowest rates and were less likely to overlap songs with the challenged male when their partner was laying, compared to males during early and late nesting stages. Noise and distance did not affect vocal coordination or male singing rates. Fewer females sang during the intruder-only treatment compared to the control and intrusions with noise. Added noise in the territories of challenged males may have masked signals, and as a result, females only changed their behavior during the intruder-only treatment. Our results suggest that the fertility of breeding partners may be more important to males than short-term changes on rival male territories. Elevated noise did little to alter male responses to threats within networks. Females appeared to eavesdrop on interactions involving neighboring males, but noise may have prevented detection of their interactions.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anthropogenic noise affects female, not male house wren response to change in signaling network

et al. 2020

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“…House wrens breed across a gradient of urbanization, and therefore likely experience variable noisy environments. Males adjust singing in response to fluctuations in noise, but social factors are important as well [27, 28]. In response to noise playback, paired males increase the peak frequency of their songs, whereas unpaired males do not [27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Males adjust singing in response to fluctuations in noise, but social factors are important as well [27, 28]. In response to noise playback, paired males increase the peak frequency of their songs, whereas unpaired males do not [27]. In response to naturally varying noise, males decrease minimum frequencies of their songs, but only when breeding partners are fertile (Authors, unpublished data).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic noise affects male house wren response to but not detection of territorial intruders

Grabarczyk

Gill

2019

PLoS ONE

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Anthropogenic noise decreases signal active space, or the area over which male bird song can be detected in the environment. For territorial males, noise may make it more difficult to detect and assess territorial challenges, which in turn may increase defense costs and influence whether males maintain territory ownership. We tested the hypothesis that noise affects the ability of male house wrens ( Troglodytes aedon ) near active nests to detect intruders and alters responses to them. We broadcast pre-recorded male song and pink noise on territories to simulate intrusions with and without noise, as well as to noise alone. We measured detection by how long males took to sing or approach the speaker after the start of a playback. To measure whether playbacks changed male behavior, we compared their vocal responses before and during treatments, as well as compared mean vocal responses and the number of flyovers and attacks on the speaker during treatments. Noise did not affect a male’s ability to detect an intruder on his territory. Males altered their responses to simulated intruders with and without noise compared to the noise-only treatment by singing longer songs at faster rates. Males increased peak frequency of songs during intrusions without noise compared to noise-only treatments, but frequency during intruder plus noise treatments did not differ from either. When confronting simulated intruders in noise, males increased the number of attacks on the speaker compared to intruders without noise, possibly because they were less able to assess intruders via songs and relied on close encounters for information. Although noise did not affect intruder detection, noise affected some aspects of singing and aggressive responses, which may be related to the challenge of discriminating and assessing territorial threats under elevated noise.

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Effects of anthropogenic noise on cognition, bill color, and growth in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Daria

Slevin²,

Anderson³

2022

acta ethol

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Anthropogenic noise masking diminishes house wren (Troglodytes aedon) song transmission in urban natural areas

Cited by 22 publications

References 48 publications

Anthropogenic noise affects female, not male house wren response to change in signaling network

Anthropogenic noise affects female, not male house wren response to change in signaling network

Anthropogenic noise affects male house wren response to but not detection of territorial intruders

Effects of anthropogenic noise on cognition, bill color, and growth in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

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