The vocal repertoire of the Cactus Conure Eupsittula cactorum (Aves; Psittaciformes)

Abstract

Few species of Psittaciformes have the vocal repertoire used to facilitate complex social interactions described. The Cactus Conure (Eupsittula cactorum) is not an exception since it depends on acoustic communication for many aspects of its biology. Here, we describe the vocal repertoire of E. cactorum. The research was undertaken between September 2015 and April 2016 at Quixada (Ceara state, Brazil), where the birds were recorded in the early mornings (05:00–09:00 h) and late afternoons (15:00–18:00 h). During the observations, we recorded the calls and described the behavioral responses to each of these calls. We found nine calls, namely sentinel, flight contact, food appeal, flight call, alarm, alarm II; juvenile alarm, agonistic, congregation. A multinomial regression shows that each of these components is structurally different, and displays enough call differentiation to guarantee efficient communication. The species is especially vocally active when the individuals are in large flocks, but the individuals are discreet and quiet when alone or in pairs. On these behavioral contexts, it was common to observe low-intensity signals, proper for close-range interactions. Overall, E. cactorum shows a complex repertoire, which is somewhat expected for social species.