Which Traits Influence Bird Survival in the City? A Review

Land, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 10(2), P. 92 - 92

Published: Jan. 20, 2021

Urbanization poses a major threat to biodiversity worldwide. We focused on birds as well-studied taxon of interest, in order review literature traits that influence responses urbanization. 226 papers were published between 1979 and 2020, aggregate information five groups have been widely studied: ecological traits, life history, physiology, behavior genetic traits. Some robust findings trait changes individual species well bird communities emerge. A lack specific food shelter resources has led the urban community being dominated by generalist species, while specialist show decline. Urbanized differ behavioral showing an increase song frequency amplitude, bolder behavior, compared rural populations same species. Differential predatory pressure results history including prolonged breeding duration, increases clutch brood size compensate for lower survival. Other species-specific include hormonal state, body differences from populations. identify gaps research, with paucity studies tropical cities need greater examination persistence success native vs. introduced

Language: Английский

---

Traffic noise disrupts vocal development and suppresses immune function

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 7(20)

Published: May 12, 2021

Traffic noise leads to vocal learning deficits in young songbirds, the primary model for speech development humans.

Language: Английский

---

Language-like efficiency in whale communication

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 11(6)

Published: Feb. 5, 2025

Vocal communication systems in humans and other animals experience selection for efficiency—optimizing the benefits they convey relative to costs of producing them. Two hallmarks efficiency, Menzerath’s law Zipf’s abbreviation, predict that longer sequences will consist shorter elements more frequent be shorter, respectively. Here, we assessed evidence both laws cetaceans by analyzing vocal from 16 baleen toothed whale species comparing them 51 human languages. Eleven exhibit law, sometimes with greater effect sizes than speech. five categorized element types abbreviation. On average, whales also tend shorten intervals toward end sequences, although this varies species. Overall, results study suggest vocalizations many cetacean have undergone compression increased efficiency time.

Language: Английский

---

How urbanization affects sexual communication

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 11(24), P. 17625 - 17650

Published: Dec. 1, 2021

Abstract Urbanization is rapidly altering landscapes worldwide, changing environmental conditions, and creating novel selection pressures for many organisms. Local conditions affect the expression evolution of sexual signals mating behaviors; changes in such traits have important evolutionary consequences because their effect on reproduction. In this review, we synthesize research investigating how communication affected by associated with urbanization—including pollution from noise, light, heavy metals, habitat fragmentation, impervious surfaces, urban heat islands, resources predation. often has negative effects through signal masking, condition‐dependent expression, weakening female preferences. Though there are documented instances seemingly adaptive shifts trait ultimate impact fitness rarely tested. The field still relatively young, most work tested whether differences occur response to various aspects urbanization. There limited information available about these responses represent phenotypic plasticity or genetic changes, extent which observed reproductive fitness. Our understanding operates novel, urbanized environments would be bolstered more studies that perform common garden reciprocal transplants, simultaneously evaluate multiple factors tease out causal drivers shifts. provides a unique testing ground biologists study interplay between ecology selection, suggest researchers take advantage natural experiments. Furthermore, systems differ cities rural areas can offer insights mitigate negative, accentuate positive, expansion biota, provide new opportunities underscore relevance biology Anthropocene.

Language: Английский

---

Mechanisms of Cultural Evolution in the Songs of Wild Bird Populations

Frontiers in Psychology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 12

Published: April 26, 2021

Young songbirds draw the source material for their learned songs from parents, peers, and unrelated adults, as well innovation. These are used intraspecific communication, have well-documented roles such functions territory maintenance mate attraction. The of wild populations differ, forming local “dialects” that may shift over time, suggesting cultural evolution is at work. Recent work has focused on mechanisms responsible bird within a population, including drift, learning biases (such conformity rare-form copying), selection (including sexual selection). In many or song repertoires, variability partitioned, with some segments being stable consistent, while others vary population across still undergo population-wide transitions time. This review explores different shape in populations, specific reference to long-term investigation single philopatric Savannah sparrows. Males learn four-segment during 1st year sing same thereafter. Within this song, buzz segment marker, be decades – variant forms occur but eventually disappear. contrast, middle highly variable both time; changes relative prevalence due drift bias. introductory segment, high note cluster was replaced by click train between 1982 2010, following an S-shaped trajectory characteristic selective sweeps genetics replacement one form another human language. case sparrows, been selection. subsequent generations, number clicks trains increased, directional contrast narrowing trait's range genetic systems, variation increased mean value shifted because improvisation allowed trait expand. Thus, short sparrow, least four appear contribute three types evolutionary outcomes. future, it will import explore conditions favor application (and perhaps conditional) rules, studies ongoing seeding experiment Kent Island sparrow help understanding promote repress population's song.

Language: Английский

---

Urbanization alters the song propagation of two human-commensal songbird species

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 155(4), P. 2803 - 2816

Published: April 1, 2024

Urban expansion has increased pollution, including both physical (e.g., exhaust, litter) and sensory anthropogenic noise) components. avian species tend to increase the frequency and/or amplitude of songs reduce masking by low-frequency noise. Nevertheless, song propagation receiver can also be constrained environment. We know relatively little about how this may altered across that (1) vary in complexity (2) inhabit areas along an urbanization gradient. investigated differences amplitude, attenuation, active space, or maximum distance a detect signal, two human-commensal species: house sparrow (Passer domesticus) finch (Haemorhous mexicanus). described discretely quantitatively investigate habitat characteristics most responsible for changes. found mixed support our hypothesis urban-specific degradation songs. propagated with higher amplitude; however, urban fidelity was species-specific showed lowered space Taken together, results suggest environments constrain vocal signals manners. Ultimately, implications ability birds communicate potential mates kin.

Language: Английский

---

What is Known—and not Known—About Acoustic Communication in an Urban Soundscape

Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 61(5), P. 1783 - 1794

Published: June 11, 2021

Urban environments have some of the most highly modified soundscapes on planet, affecting way many animals communicate using acoustic signals. Communication involves transmission information via signals, such as bird song, between a signaler and receiver. Much work has focused effects urbanization signalers their yet very little is known about how noise pollution affects receiver behaviors sensory systems. Here, we synthesize key findings to date regarding avian communication in urban environment delineate gaps knowledge for future work. We leverage our own comparing current historical songs from rural habitats subspecies white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli). use this system, along with other systems, answer three questions field: (1) Is song variation consistent temporal spatial anthropogenic noise? (2) How are birds adjusting environment? (3) does 'urbanization' affect signal function? Our synthesis illustrates that adjustments make noisy can improve detection, but potentially at cost function. Many need be addressed complete understanding systems evolve areas, specifically regard sexual selection female preference, well receivers perceive signals an environment.

Language: Английский

---

Background noise but not urbanization level impacted song frequencies in an urban songbird in the Pearl River Delta, Southern China

Global Ecology and Conservation, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 28, P. e01695 - e01695

Published: June 21, 2021

Rapid urbanization has profoundly transformed habitats and increased noise pollution in urban environments. Elevated levels may mask acoustic signals of urban-dwelling organisms such as birds. Singing at higher frequencies is one typical responses to avoid this masking effect. However, high-frequency experience larger attenuation when transmitting open Here, we tested how elevated affect frequency characteristics song complexity the Oriental Magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis), a common songbird tropical Asia. Song recording was conducted seven cities Pearl River Delta, southern China, highly developed region with rapid pace urbanization. Our results showed that Magpie-robins sang minimum maximum noisier areas. Neither level nor impacted other features, including length, syllable rate, number syllables, unique types, transitions songs. Furthermore, did not choice post sites. imply could induce spectral but temporal structural modifications. Taken together, our study adds growing publications illustrating phenotypes birdsongs have been changed anthropogenic soundscapes.

Language: Английский

---

Noise-Related Song Variation Affects Communication: Bananaquits Adjust Vocally to Playback of Elaborate or Simple Songs

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 8

Published: April 26, 2021

Birds communicate through acoustic variation in their songs for territorial defense and mate attraction. Noisy urban conditions often induce vocal changes that can alleviate masking problems, but may also affect signal value. We investigated this potential a functional compromise neotropical songbird: the bananaquit ( Coereba flaveola ). This species occurs environments with variable traffic noise levels was previously found to reduce song elaboration concert noise-dependent reduction frequency bandwidth. Singing higher narrower bandwidth make more audible noisy of low-frequency traffic. However, it unknown whether associated decrease syllable diversity affected communication. Here we show bananaquits responded differently experimental playback elaborate vs. simple songs. The did not general response strength, tested birds gave acoustically distinct replies. Songs had fewer syllables were lower wider when individuals compared result suggests restrictions change value communicative function. It remains be there are consequences individual fitness how such effects alter density avian community cities.

Language: Английский

---

Signal detection shapes ornament allometry in functionally convergent Caribbean Anolis and Southeast Asian Draco lizards

Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 35(11), P. 1508 - 1523

Published: Sept. 30, 2022

Abstract Visual ornaments have long been assumed to evolve hyper‐allometry as an outcome of sexual selection. Yet growing evidence suggests many sexually selected morphologies can exhibit other scaling patterns with body size, including hypo‐allometry. The large conspicuous throat fan, or dewlap, arboreal Caribbean Anolis lizards was one ornament previously thought conform the classical expectation hyper‐allometry. We re‐evaluated this classic example alongside a second group that has also independently evolved functionally equivalent Southeast Asian Draco lizards. Across multiple closely related species in both genera, and dewlaps were either isometric had hypo‐allometric patterns. In case variation dewlap allometry predicted by distance conspecifics light environment which typically viewed. Signal efficacy, therefore, appears driven evolution hypo‐allometry what originally be Our findings suggest elaborate morphological structures used social communication might similarly because environmental constraints on signal detection.

Language: Английский

---