Occurrence Of Vocalizations Research Articles

Behavioral responses to cow and calf separation: separation at 1 and 100 days after birth.

The aim was to compare the behavioral response to full separation of cows and calves maintained together for 100 days or 24 h. Twelve Holstein-Friesian cow-calf pairs were enrolled into either treatment or industry groups (n = 6 cow-calf pairs/group). The treatment cows and calves were maintained on pasture together for 106±8.6 d and temporarily separated twice a day for milking. The Industry cows and their calves, were separated within 24 h postpartum. Triaxial accelerometer neck-mounted sensors were fitted to cows 3 weeks before separation to measure hourly rumination and activity. Before separation, cow and calf behavior was observed by scan sampling for 15 min. During the separation process, frequency of vocalizations and turn arounds were recorded. At separation, cows were moved to an observation pen where behavior was recorded for 3 d. A CCTV camera was used to record video footage of cows within the observation pens and behavior was documented from the videos in 15 min intervals across the 3 d. Before separation, industry calves were more likely to be near their mother than Treatment calves. During the separation process, vocalization and turn around behavior was similar between groups. After full separation, treatment cows vocalized three times more than industry cows. However, the frequency of time spent close to barrier, standing, lying, walking, and eating were similar between industry and treatment cows. Treatment cows had greater rumination duration, and were more active, than industry cows. These findings suggest a similar behavioral response to full calf separation and greater occurrence of vocalizations, from cows maintained in a long-term, pasture-based, cow-calf rearing system when compared to cows separated within 24 h. However, further work is required to assess the impact of full separation on calf behavior.

Monitoring vocal activity and temporal patterns in attendance of White-chinned Petrels using bioacoustics

ABSTRACT Monitoring of population sizes and trends using conventional surveys is challenging for nocturnal, burrow-nesting seabirds. The White-chinned Petrel is the most commonly killed species in Southern Ocean fisheries and its breeding success at many sites is reduced because of predation by invasive cats and rodents. As adaptive management of such threats requires cost-effective and reproducible protocols for monitoring populations, we examined the potential of automated bioacoustic techniques for measuring colony attendance patterns (relative number of birds visiting at a given time) using data from acoustic recorders deployed over a breeding season at Bird Island, South Georgia. Generic recognition software was of limited utility, but a suite of acoustic indices in a random forest model reliably predicted the occurrence of vocalisations. Vocal activity showed clear temporal patterns, despite high day-to-day variability, and was lowest during the pre-laying period, in the early evening, and on moonlit nights. To facilitate estimation of population density using acoustic recorders, we determined the mean vocalisation rate of individuals (2.3 min−1), mean call length (~15.3 sec), and detection distance (~15 m based on signal to noise ratios of playbacks). Our results indicate that acoustic indices are a useful measure of colony attendance. If these indices can be linked to density, acoustic monitoring would provide a powerful and cost-effective census method for White-chinned Petrels and other nocturnal species.

Ghost bats exhibit informative daily and seasonal temporal patterns in the production of social vocalisations

The ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) is a colonial and highly vocal species that is impacted by human visitation of caves. The ability to document behaviours inside the roost by recording vocalisations could provide an important new tool for the management of this disturbance-prone species by removing the need for in-person confirmation of reproductive activity, and, in turn, identifying roosts of conservation importance. To assess whether vocalisations are indicators of daily and seasonal behavioural events, we aimed to determine whether total vocal activity significantly varied by time of day and time of year and, further, how the relative frequencies of occurrence of three common social vocalisations (‘Chirp-trill’, ‘Squabble’ and ‘Ultrasonic Social’) aligned with previously reported seasonal reproductive behaviour. We recorded sound inside the largest known maternity roost, extracted all vocal signals and classified them into types using semiautomated methods. Total vocal activity varied significantly by time of day and time of year, peaking around sunrise and sunset, and during the mating and nursing seasons. The relative frequencies of occurrence of vocalisation types varied significantly seasonally, with the Chirp-trill and Squabble produced most during the mating season and first flight periods, whereas the Ultrasonic Social peaked during parturition and weaning periods. This timing aligns with a previously suggested vocalisation function, providing further evidence that these signals are important in mating and maternity behaviours. Further, this suggests that peaks in the relative frequency of occurrence of distinct social vocalisations may act as indicators of in-roost reproductive and pup development behaviours and provides a low-disturbance, semiautomated method for using long-term acoustic recordings to study and monitor behaviour in this sensitive species.

Passive acoustic surveys for predicting species' distributions: Optimising detection probability.

Surveying terrestrial species across diverse habitats is important for predicting species’ distributions and implementing conservation actions. For vocalising species, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is increasing in popularity; however, survey design rarely considers the factors influencing the timing and occurrence of vocalisations and in turn, how they may influence detectability of the species. Here, we use the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) as a case study to show how PAM can be used to first examine the factors influencing vocalisations, and then use occupancy modelling to make recommendations on survey design for the species. We used automated recording units to monitor koala vocalisations at ten sites between August 2016 and January 2017. The timing of male koala vocalisations was linked to time of sunset with vocalisations increasing two hours prior to sunset and peaking at four hours after sunset. Vocalisations had a seasonal trend, increasing from the early to middle stage of the breeding season. Koala population density and stage of the breeding season had more influence on detection probability than daily sampling schedule. Where population density was low, and during the early stage of the breeding season, 7 survey nights (recording for 6 hours from 20:00h to 02:00h; i.e. the period of peak bellowing activity) were required to be 95% confident of a site-specific absence. Our study provides an approach for designing effective passive acoustic surveys for terrestrial species.

Overview of the behavioral effects of noise on animals

Animal responses to noise vary with both the noise itself and with the condition, and especially the behavioral state, of the animal. Responses include movement away from or toward the noise source on time scales from seconds (immediate response) to minutes (changes in breathing rates of marine mammals) to months or years (abandonment or adoption of habitats); changing the frequency, duration, intensity, or rate of occurrence of vocalizations; non-response due to masking of sounds important for mate-finding, predator detection, prey detection, navigation, socialization, parent-offspring bonds, etc.; increases in stress responses; and so on. Responses are mediated by a host of condition of the receiving animal, including its behavioral state (feeding, resting/sleeping, traveling, advertising for mates, etc.), its age/sex class, its mating status, its location within its habitat, past exposure to noise, presence of conspecifics, presence of predators, and many more factors. An overview of these topics is pr...

Comparing communication systems for individuals with developmental disabilities: A review of single-case research studies

Studies that have compared different communication systems for individuals with developmental disabilities were systematically reviewed in an effort to provide information useful for clinical decision making and directions for future research. Specifically, 28 studies that compared (a) non-electronic picture systems to speech generating devices, (b) aided AAC (e.g. picture exchange systems and SGDs) to unaided AAC systems (manual sign), or (c) AAC to speech-language interventions were included in this review. Dependent variables forming the basis for comparison included: (a) effectiveness (e.g. acquisition of systems and/or rate of use), (b) efficiency or rate of skill acquisition (c) participants' preference for systems, (d) occurrence of vocalizations and problem behavior, and (e) generalization across communication partners, settings, and time (i.e. maintenance). Results suggest that clear and consistent differences between communication systems are rare, precluding definitive statements regarding a universal best approach for all people with developmental disabilities. Instead, findings of this review support the consideration of an individual's existing skills, goals and preferences as part of the process of selecting an approach to communication.

Spatio-temporal distribution of ice seals in the Chukchi Sea using underwater vocalizations: Special focus on male bearded seals

Underwater vocalizations of ringed, ribbon and bearded seals were recorded over a wide region of the northeastern Chukchi Sea between July 2007 and October 2011. Ringed seals were identified by their barks and yelps, ribbon seals by their sweeps and puffing sounds and bearded seals by their trills, ascents and moans. Ringed seal vocalizations were detected in all months of the year, whereas vocalizations from ribbon seals occurred only in October and November. To determine the seasonal variation in the frequency of occurrence of male bearded seal vocalizations throughout a year 20-min recordings were analyzed to determine call counts between 02:00 and 06:00 every 3 days. Bearded seal acoustic detections increased progressively from August to March, peaked between April and June but were essentially absent in July. Outside of the mating period (April - June) the frequency of occurrence of vocalizations varied on a diel cycle and was higher during periods of darkness. To determine the influence of diel cycle, the duration of vocalizations and the proportion of each vocal type throughout the mating season 10-min recordings on a 17-20% duty cycle were analysed between April and June every 10 days. Results are currently under review and will be presented.

Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Vocalising Maile Bearded Seals - Implications for Male Mating Strategies

The bearded seal, Erignathus barbatus , is an ice breeding phocid that mates in the water. The most detailed studies of male behaviour among aquatic-mating phocids have concentrated primarily on temperate breeding harbour seals, Phoca vitulina , where females are dependent on stable substrates, rock or sand, for parturition. In contrast, female bearded seals give birth on ice floes or the edge of fast ice, a highly unstable substrate. In this study, spatial and temporal patterns of male bearded seal vocalisations were studied in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard from April 1999 to the end of May 2000. Males vocalised during a discrete 90-day period from early April to mid July, no calls were heard at any other time of the year during this study. Vocalisations increased in duration towards the middle of the mating season in late May, although no change was seen in inter vocal intervals of individuals. The frequency of occurrence of vocalisations varied significantly with the diel cycle. Vocalisations increased in number from 16:00 hrs onward into the 'night', peaking around 04:00 hrs. This peak coincides with the period when most females are in the water. Female bearded seals were found throughout Kongsfjorden. Their distribution at any particular point in time depends on the availability of suitable haul-out sites ( i.e. ice conditions), which are highly variable over time spans as short as a few hours. Males vocalised in higher densities around the fjord entrances and may use these 'geographical bottlenecks' to intercept passing females. We suggest that male distribution may reflect the unpredictable nature of female distribution. Aquatic mating phocids appear to exhibit variations in reproductive strategies, including spatial arrangements of displaying males, which reflect the varying constraints imposed on female movement patterns by their local habitats and ecological requirements.

Effects of a Stimulus-Stimulus Pairing Procedure on Conditioning Vocal Sounds as Reinforcers

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of stimulus-stimulus pairing on conditioning vocal sounds as reinforcers. Four preschoolers with severe language and communication delays participated. In Experiment 1, an attempt was made to condition vocal sounds as a reinforcer by pairing a specific vocal sound with a reinforcing event (e.g., physical interaction). Results indicated that presentation of a stimulus-stimulus pairing was effective in conditioning the target vocal sounds as reinforcers, which increased the occurrence of vocalizations of those sounds by the participants. Experiment 2 compared the effects of the pairing procedure with those of echoic training. The pairing procedure was identical to that in Experiment 1. In the echoic training condition, the experimenter produced the target vocal sound and gave the participant an opportunity to echo. The same reinforcing stimulus (e.g., physical interaction) was provided contingent upon the occurrence of the target vocal sound emitted by the participant. Results showed that the pairing procedure was more effective than the echoic training. Findings from this study suggest that for these participants, who had no vocal imitation skills, the stimulus-stimulus pairing was an effective procedure for conditioning vocal sounds as reinforcers and increased the probability of occurrence of the vocalization without a direct reinforcement contingency.

Distance Vocalisations of Guinea Baboons (Papio Papio) in Senegal: an Analysis of Function

AbstractGuinea baboons (Papio papio) were studied in the field at Mont Assirik, Senegal; visibility is poor, baboon predators are frequent and baboon population density is high relative to other prey species at this site. Data were collected on the rates of occurrence of vocalisations in relation to baboon ranging and group fission-fusion, to habitat, and to activities and circumstances of use. Factor analysis, with varimax rotation of orthogonal axes, was used to identify reliable clusters of calls whose rates covaried. For each, a weighted index was constructed to examine variation with social and environmental context. Nocturnal volleys of adult male loud calls were found to be provoked by distant sounds of major predators and by similar volleys from other sleeping sites, and playback confirmed this "triggering" of volleys. Sleeping sites are restricted to branches of the tallest trees, and are so secure as to be difficult to access; baboons do not react to volleys except by calling. This behaviour was interpreted as imparting reliable information to potential predators about numbers of adult male baboons at a site; predators would be expected to hunt, at dawn when baboons descend to the ground, only in the vicinity of sites with fewest large males. Baboons at each site should then compete to deter predators by nocturnal calling. Diurnal use of single and double-phased barks was strongly associated with intergroup coordination. Barks are used to prevent separation of animals when a group travels rapidly in dense vegetation, and as a "lost call" by isolated groups. When a troop splits into large subgroups during feeding, barks enable contact to be maintained and allow efficient reunion before any open area is crossed; open laterite plateaux are crossed silently, in large compact groups and only with circumspection. Groups which meet during ranging typically make auditory contact first, and often fuse; presumably such groups belong to the same social network. When feeding in grassland, groups break up into many small parties (of the order of 5-10 animals) which forage independently. Reaggregation is rapidly achieved when contagious barking of each party allows it to be located and to locate others despite the low visibility. This prompt reaggregation, and in general behaviours which promote and maintain large group size, are interpreted as adaptations to predator pressure. Loud calls, particularly of adult males, were also found to be associated with intragroup agonism; however, lack of individual recognition precluded useful study in this case. Direct reactions to potential predators and their sounds showed fine tuning to the particular nature of danger presented. The single, sharp bark is used to signal the initial perception of possible danger, including unfamiliar humans. Predators which rely on stealth and surprise are either mobbed, or watched and double-phased barks used to mark any movement or sudden change in their behaviour; their danger is thus neutralised. Cursorial predators, on the other hand, are watched carefully and in silence, from the vicinity of trees.