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Vocal mimicry by the Black-browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps: objective identification of mimetic sounds
Publication Type: | Journal Article |
Year of Publication: | 2004 |
Authors: | Hamao, S, Eda-Fujiwara, H |
Journal: | Ibis |
Volume: | 146 |
Issue: | 1 |
Date Published: | 2004 |
ISBN Number: | 1474-919X |
Keywords: | Acrocephalidae, Acrocephalus, Acrocephalus bistrigiceps, Acrocephalus scirpaceus, Calamodus, Calamodus bistrigiceps, Notiocichla, Notiocichla scirpacea, Sollicitus, Sollicitus scirpaceus, Verbosus, Verbosus bistrigiceps |
Abstract: | Vocal mimicry by the Black-browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps was investigated. To identify mimicry objectively, we measured similarities between the sounds of models and those of Warblers by means of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using a set of acoustic parameters. Of the sounds suspected of being mimicry according to visual inspection of sonagrams, only 57% were identifiable as mimicry according to PCA. Previous studies have not included quantitative criteria for assessing vocal mimicry, and our results suggest that judgements might not be reliable in the absence of objective criteria. Male Warblers incorporated the mimetic sounds into their songs, and each male mimicked 2–5 species. We found no evidence that females preferred males with large mimetic repertoires. This suggests that vocal mimicry has not evolved in response to selection by females in this species, although our analysis did not reveal entire mimetic repertoires in the Warbler songs. |
URL: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2004.00226.x |
Short Title: | Ibis |
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