AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

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
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith