Katerina Vicini
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Research Mentor(s): Rachel Wadleigh, PhD Candidate
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Presentation Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021
Session: Session 5 (3pm-3:50pm)
Breakout Room: Room 8
Presenter: 1
Abstract
As avian habitats across the globe face increasing fragmentation, the resulting consequences on behavior are not fully understood. One potential outcome is a change in vocal behavior, as fragmentation may decrease opportunities for social learning among birds. We examined how fragmented landscapes affect avian behavior, and using this data, I analyzed the effects of fragmentation on vocal behavior. The data was collected by conducting behavioral assays of birds inside a novel environment and recording behavioral components such as latency to enter, movement frequency, perches visited, and vocal behavior. Using the data collected on vocal behavior, I determined the the frequency (pitch), amplitude, and complexity (number of syllables) of bird song using Audacity. I then analyzed patterns in these components and their relationship with fragmentation in R. As increasing fragmentation may result in increased isolation of birds, it may promote a decline in song learning. This is because passerines primarily learn birdsong from other tutors, and increased isolation may limit the amount of tutors birds are exposed to (Hart et al., 2017). The decline in the exposure to tutors may decrease the number of vocal components birds are exposed to, consequently reducing the number of vocal components within the population (Hart et al., 2017). Thus, I predict that increasing fragmentation will result in decreasing diversity of song. The relationship between fragmentation and vocal behavior is an important component of bird conservation, as avian vocal behavior is essential for mare choice, territoriality, predator avoidance, foraging and group cohesion (Catchpole & Slater, 1995). As song diversity may indicate a population’s viability (Laiolo et al., 2008), it is vital to examine the effects of fragmentation on avian vocal behavior in order to inform future conservation strategies.
Authors: Katerina Vicini, Rachel Wadleigh
Research Method: Data Collection and Analysis
