Data and code to reproduce analyses from "Shifting syllable production in an ex situ population of a critically endangered songbird."
Singing is an ecologically important behaviour for songbirds. Syllables function as the building blocks of birdsong, so changes to their production will have implications for overall song structure. It is well established that anthropogenic disturbance can influence syllable production in wild songbird populations, but the effect of anthropogenic disturbance on syllable production in ex situ populations has not been studied. We set out to fill this gap by comparing the syllable production of Chester Zoo’s Bali myna (Leucopsar rothschildi) population during a period of zoo closure in 2020 (due to COVID-19 lockdown) to a period of normal opening in 2019. The number of syllables per song, the rate at which syllables were produced, and the diversity of syllables all showed evidence of plasticity across days and years. However, only the number of syllables per song responded significantly to anthropogenic disturbance. Changes in song length due to anthropogenic disturbance could mitigate potential signal masking from unpredictable noise, although communication efficacy may still be affected. As a result, changes in vocal communication could influence conservation breeding programmes by altering the way individuals interact with conspecifics.
Funding
Training the next generation of environmental scientists
Natural Environment Research Council
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