Habitat-related differences in song structure and complexity in a songbird with a large repertoire

Krzysztof Deoniziak,Tomasz S. Osiejuk

doi:10.1186/s12898-019-0255-7

Krzysztof Deoniziak, Tomasz S. Osiejuk

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-019-0255-7

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Abstract

BackgroundUrbanisation has been shown to influence many aspects of animal vocal communication. Much attention has been paid to anthropogenic noise, which is often described as one of the most challenging disturbances for urban dwellers. While a large body of literature describes associations between vocal behavior of avian populations and background noise level, most of these studies were conducted on species with relatively simple songs and small repertoire sizes. This study focuses on the song thrush, Turdus philomelos, a common Eurasian songbird with a complex singing style and large syllable repertoire. Our objective was to determine whether frequency, repertoire and temporal organisation of song parameters vary between birds inhabiting urban and adjacent forest habitats in which ambient noise levels differ.ResultsSongs of urban males were found to be more complex than in conspecifics from natural forest populations. Urban dwellers possessed greater syllable repertoires and repeated syllable sequences more often. In addition, they used a smaller proportion of whistles and a higher proportion of twitter syllables when singing compared to the nonurban males. Moreover, we found significant differences in the minimum and peak frequency of the whistle syllable between studied populations.ConclusionsThese findings may be an example of adaptation of acoustic communication in noisy urban environments, but we also discuss other possible explanations. We emphasize the need for further investigation into the relationships between birdsong and habitat characteristics, male quality, population density and ambient noise level in populations occupying urban and nonurban habitats.

Highlights

Urbanisation has been shown to influence many aspects of animal vocal communication
There were no large differences in the time and date of the recordings from urban vs. nonurban habitats
Syllable frequency The song of urban males was characterized by a higher frequency of whistle syllables when compared to nonurban males (Table 1, Fig. 3)

Summary

Introduction

Urbanisation has been shown to influence many aspects of animal vocal communication. Much atten‐ tion has been paid to anthropogenic noise, which is often described as one of the most challenging disturbances for urban dwellers. While a large body of literature describes associations between vocal behavior of avian popula‐ tions and background noise level, most of these studies were conducted on species with relatively simple songs and small repertoire sizes. Animals adjust their acoustic communication to the environmental conditions of Urbanised landscapes are novel habitats when measured on an evolutionary scale. Deoniziak and Osiejuk BMC Ecol (2019) 19:40 habitats [16] It affects human health [17] and shapes animal acoustic communication [18]. Studies report changes in vocalizations in various animal taxa due to exposure to anthropogenic noise [e.g., 19, 20] and show acoustic signal variation between populations of the same species occupying urban and nonurban habitats [e.g., 21, 22]

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