Do aircraft events alter the vocal behavior of passerine bird communities?

Abstract

Anthropogenic noise alters ambient sound levels even in the most protected habitats in the US, with airports being a major contributor of noise. Birds breeding near airports may alter their vocal behavior, perhaps due to a reduction in communication space (i.e., masking). Alterations in vocal behavior may result in a reduced ability to attract a mate or maintain a territory. Here, we use passive acoustic monitoring to assess the effects of aircraft noise on the vocal behavior of common bird species, (e.g., wood thrushes, red-winged blackbirds, etc.) in Ithaca, NY, USA. We measured total time spent singing immediately before and after plane takeoffs for birds breeding at varying proximities to the airport and associated flight paths. Data were collected between 0600 and 0700 h (peak of dawn chorus) from May–July 2017. If the total time spent singing differs based on aircraft status (before/after aircraft event) and noise exposure (peak amplitude associated with aircraft events), our results would suggest that aircraft noise alters dawn chorus. Further, if our data show species-specific impacts of noise, characteristics such as migratory status and/or vocalization frequency (pitch) may be important considerations when predicting noise impacts on birds.