Researchers study how birds retweet news

Date: February 14, 2020

Source: The University of Montana

Every social network has its fake news. And in animal communication networks, even birds discern the trustworthiness of their neighbors, a study from the University of Montana suggests.

The study, recently published in the top science journal Nature, is the culmination of decades' worth of research from UM alumni Nora Carlson and Chris Templeton and UM Professor Erick Greene in the College of Humanities and Sciences. It sheds a new light on bird social networks.

"This is the first time people have shown that nuthatches are paying attention to the source of information, and that influences the signal they produce and send along," Greene said.

Carlson, Templeton and Greene shared an interest in trying to crack the Rosetta Stone of how birds communicate and collected bird calls over the years.

Each bird species has a song, usually sung by the males, for "letting the babes know 'here I am,'" Greene said, as well as staking out real estate. Their loud and complex calls usually ring out during breeding season.

But for warning calls, each sound stands for a specific threat, such as "snake on the ground," "flying hawk" and "perched hawk." The calls convey the present danger level and specific information. They also are heard by all species in the woods in a vast communication network that sets them on high alert.

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Toronto's noisy streets could be drowning out bird communication, new study says

A study out of Western Ontario says says songbirds have a harder time learning their songs when exposed to traffic noise.

Researchers studied the Zebra Finch, a bird native to Australia that can be found in per stores because they are easy to bred in the lab. But they are interested in what the results mean for wild song birds found in Toronto such as Yellow Warblers.

By: May Warren Metro Published on Tue Aug 30 2016

For a bird in the city, life can be a beak.

There are condo windows to avoid, light pollution and killer cats. Now, add to that noise that can make it nearly impossible to communicate with a friend, or worse, a potential mate.

Scott MacDougall-Shackleton, director of the Advanced Facility for Avian Research at Western University, has just published the results of a study that highlights the problem.

Birds exposed to urban noises like cars, motorcycles and the occasional siren have a harder time learning songs, the study showed, and that could make it harder for them to attract one another for breeding.

Just as we learn how to speak “birds have to hear their own species and practice” in order to produce their species’ normal sounds, the London, Ont., based researcher explained.

The study focused on baby zebra finches, which are native to Australia, because they are considered the “white lab rats” of songbirds. But, regardless of the songbird involved, the results are thought to be universal.

Anything that decreases the number of birds being born could have a trickle down effect, said Michael Mesure, executive director of bird advocacy organization Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP).

Source  

Highway noise deters communication between birds

Date: May 11, 2016

Source: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Northern cardinals and tufted titmice are two abundant bird species in the woods of eastern North America. Many bird and mammal species rely on information from tufted titmice calls to detect and respond to dangerous predators. This causes important information networks to form around tufted titmouse communication. Results of a new study suggests that too much noise around highways keeps birds from hearing warnings from fellow birds about predators in the area, and that puts them at a higher risk of being eaten. It is also possible that the birds are hearing the alarms, but are too distracted by the noise to respond to them.

New research from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers shows birds may be avoiding habitats near noisy highways because they can't hear fellow birds' alarms that warn them of attacking hawks or owls.

Some highways cut through or run along natural areas, and researchers know that wild birds often make their homes away from those highways, but they don't know why.

UF/IFAS researchers tested whether highway noise could be interfering with bird communication. Results of their study suggest too much noise around these highways keeps birds from hearing warnings from fellow birds about predators in the area, and that puts them at a higher risk of being eaten. It is also possible that the birds are hearing the alarms, but are too distracted by the noise to respond to them.

The researchers caution that they did not establish a causal link between highway noise and bird population reductions, although noise-disrupting alarm calls is a compelling possibility.

"Conservation of bird species should include decreasing noise in sensitive wildlife areas," said Aaron Grade, who led the study as part of his master's thesis in the UF/IFAS wildlife ecology and conservation department.

Grade and his graduate adviser, UF/IFAS wildlife ecology and conservation professor Katie Sieving, tested the abilities of northern cardinals to hear the predator alarm of tufted titmice by playing alarm calls to cardinals through speakers in both noisy and quiet locations in Florida state parks. They found that noise from vehicles along the busy highways often drowns out the alarms emitted by birds. Researchers went to Florida state forests near Interstate 75 and U.S. 441 in Alachua, Marion and Columbia counties to test whether highway noise could interfere with bird communication.

Northern cardinals and tufted titmice are two abundant bird species in the woods of eastern North America. Many bird and mammal species rely on information from tufted titmice calls to detect and respond to dangerous predators. This causes important information networks to form around tufted titmouse communication. Normally, northern cardinals listen to tufted titmouse predator alarm calls and will typically respond by fleeing or freezing until the danger passes.

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