Species-Specific Responses of Bird Song Output in the Presence of Drones

AbstractDrones are now widely used to study wildlife, but applications for studying bioacoustics have been limited. Drones can be used to collect data on bird vocalizations, but an ongoing concern is that noise from the drones could change bird vocalization behavior. To test this behavioral impact we conducted an experiment using 30 sound localization arrays to track the song output of seven songbird species before, during, and after a 3-minute flight of a small quadcopter drone hovering at 50 m above ground level. We analyzed 8,303 song bouts, of which 2,285 song bouts of 184 individual birds were within 50 meters of the array centers. We used linear mixed effect models to assess patterns in song output showed patterns that could be attributed to the drone’s presence. We found no evidence of any effect of the drone for five species: American Robin Turdus migratorius, Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas, Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla, Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia, and Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea. However, we found a substantial decrease in Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia song detections during the 3-minute drone hover, such that there was an 81% drop in detections in the 3rd minute (Wald-test, p<0.001), compared with before the drone’s introduction. In contrast, the number of singing Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis increased after the drone was introduced, and remained almost five-fold higher for 4-minutes after the drone departed (P<0.001). Further, we found an increase in cardinal contact/alarm calls when the drone was overhead, with the elevated calling-rate sustaining for 2 minutes after the drone had departed (P<0.001). Our study suggests that responses of songbirds to drones may be species-specific, an important consideration when proposing the use of drones in avian studies. We note that recent advances in drone technology have resulted in much quieter drones, which makes us hopeful that the impacts that we detected could be greatly reduced.

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Species-Specific Responses of Bird Song Output in the Presence of Drones

Drones ◽

10.3390/drones6010001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Andrew M. Wilson ◽

Kenneth S. Boyle ◽

Jennifer L. Gilmore ◽

Cody J. Kiefer ◽

Matthew F. Walker

Keyword(s):

Ground Level ◽

Wald Test ◽

Bird Song ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Yellow Warbler ◽

American Robin ◽

Geothlypis Trichas ◽

Field Sparrow ◽

Species Specific ◽

The Impact

Drones are now widely used to study wildlife, but their application in the study of bioacoustics is limited. Drones can be used to collect data on bird vocalizations, but an ongoing concern is that noise from drones could change bird vocalization behavior. To test for behavioral impact, we conducted an experiment using 30 sound localization arrays to track the song output of 7 songbird species before, during, and after a 3 min flight of a small quadcopter drone hovering 48 m above ground level. We analyzed 8303 song bouts, of which 2285, from 184 individual birds were within 50 m of the array centers. We used linear mixed effect models to assess whether patterns in bird song output could be attributed to the drone’s presence. We found no evidence of any effect of the drone on five species: American Robin Turdus migratorius, Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas, Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla, Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia, and Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea. However, we found a substantial decrease in Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia song detections during the 3 min drone hover; there was an 81% drop in detections in the third minute (Wald test, p < 0.001) compared with before the drone’s introduction. By contrast, the number of singing Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis increased when the drone was overhead and remained almost five-fold higher for 4 min after the drone departed (p < 0.001). Further, we found an increase in cardinal contact/alarm calls when the drone was overhead, with the elevated calling rate lasting for 2 min after the drone departed (p < 0.001). Our study suggests that the responses of songbirds to drones may be species-specific, an important consideration when proposing the use of drones in avian studies. We note that recent advances in drone technology have resulted in much quieter drones, which makes us hopeful that the impact that we detected could be greatly reduced.

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Photosynthesis of boreal ground vegetation after a forest clear-cut

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-6-2495-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 6 (11) ◽

pp. 2495-2507 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

L. Kulmala ◽

J. Pumpanen ◽

T. Vesala ◽

P. Hari

Keyword(s):

Photosynthetic Activity ◽

Calluna Vulgaris ◽

Ground Level ◽

Growing Season ◽

Plant Size ◽

Rubus Idaeus ◽

Temperature History ◽

Ground Vegetation ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Species Specific

Abstract. Heather (Calluna vulgaris), rosebay willowherb (Epilobium angustifolium), wavy hair-grass (Deschampsia flexuosa) and raspberry (Rubus idaeus) are typical species at boreal clear-cut sites. In this study, we measured their photosynthesis separately in the growing season of 2005 using a manual chamber. All measured species showed clear and species-specific seasonal cycles of photosynthetic activity (Pmax). The maxima of C. vulgaris and E. angustifolium occurred around June and July, while that of R. idaeus occurred as late as August. A simple model of photosynthetic activity is presented, addressing the photosynthesis of C. vulgaris was mainly explained by temperature history when the soil moisture is high. The activity of deciduous D. flexuosa also followed the temperature history, unlike the activities of E. angustifolium and R. idaeus. During a short drought, some shoots decreased their Pmax levels but none of the species showed similar reactions between individuals. We also observed that the comparison of the whole-plant Pmax or respiration of different-sized individuals were less scattered than the results based on full-grown leaf mass, implying that species-specific rates of photosynthesis at ground level are rather similar regardless of the plant size. Using species composition and continuous temperature and light measurements, we upscaled the species-specific process rates and integrated fixed and respired CO2 of ground vegetation for the entire 2005 growing season. The photosynthetic production per surface area of soil was 760 g C m−2 y−1 at the fertile site and 300 g C m−2 y−1 at the infertile site. During the snow-free period (18 April–21 November), the above ground parts of measured species released 75 g C m−2 y−1 at the infertile site. At the fertile site, E. angustifolium and R. idaeus respired 22 and 12 g C m−2 y−1, respectively.

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Nest Sharing Between an American Robin and a Northern Cardinal

The Wilson Journal of Ornithology ◽

10.1676/08-093.1 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 121 (2) ◽

pp. 424-426 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Paul W. Govoni ◽

Keith S. Summerville ◽

Muir D. Eaton

Keyword(s):

American Robin ◽

Northern Cardinal ◽

Nest Sharing

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New data on systematics of the quill mites of the genus Syringophiloidus Kethley, 1970 (Acari, Syringophilidae) from North American birds

Acta Parasitologica ◽

10.2478/s11686-009-0001-y ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 54 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Maciej Skoracki ◽

Maureen Flannery ◽

Greg Spicer

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Molothrus Ater ◽

Turdus Migratorius ◽

American Robin ◽

Cardinalis Cardinalis ◽

Northern Cardinal ◽

Sialia Mexicana ◽

Thryothorus Ludovicianus ◽

Carolina Wren ◽

Melanerpes Formicivorus

AbstractSix species of the syringophilid mites belonging to the genus Syringophiloidus Kethley, 1970 (Acari, Prostigmata) are recorded from eight avian hosts from USA. Four new species are described and illustrated: S. molothrus sp. nov. from the Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater (Boddaert) (Passeriformes, Icteridae), S. carolae sp. nov. from the Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus (Swainson) (Piciformes, Picidae) and from the Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus) (Passeriformes, Cardinalidae), S. sialius sp. nov. from the Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana Swainson (Passeriformes, Turdidae), and S. thryothorus sp. nov. from the Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham) (Passeriformes, Troglodytidae). The previously described species S. motacillae Bochkov et Mironov, 1998 is new for USA. Two host species, the American Robin Turdus migratorius Linnaeus (Turdidae) and the Steller’s Jay Cyanocitta stelleri (Gmelin) (Passeriformes, Corvidae), are new for S. presentalis Chirov et Kravtsova, 1995.

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Satellite-Based Estimation of Daily Ground-Level PM2.5 Concentrations over Urban Agglomeration of Chengdu Plain

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos10050245 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 245 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Weihong Han ◽

Ling Tong

Keyword(s):

Prediction Error ◽

Ground Level ◽

Public Health Research ◽

Urban Agglomeration ◽

Pollution Monitoring ◽

Estimation Accuracy ◽

Linear Mixed Effect Model ◽

Mountain Areas ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Chengdu Plain

Monitoring particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) is of great importance to assess its adverse effects on human health, especially densely populated regions. In this paper, an improved linear mixed effect model (LMEM) was developed. The model introduced meteorological variable, column water vapor (CWV), which has as the same resolution as satellite-derived aerosol optical thickness (AOT), to enhance PM2.5 estimation accuracy by considering spatiotemporal consistency of CWV and AOT. The model was implemented to urban agglomeration of Chengdu Plain during 2015. The results show that model accuracy has been improved significantly compared to linear regression model (R2 = 0.49), with R2 of 0.81 and root mean squared prediction error (RMSPE) of 15.47 μg/m3, mean prediction error (MPE) of 11.09 μg/m3, and effectively revealed the characteristics of spatiotemporal variations PM2.5 level across the study area: The PM2.5 level is higher in the central and southern areas with dense population, while it is lower in the northwest and southwest mountain areas; and the PM2.5 level is higher during autumn and winter, while it is lower during spring and summer. The product data in this paper are valuable for local government pollution monitoring, public health research, and urban air quality control.

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How small is too small? Incubation of large eggs by a small host

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z11-066 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 89 (10) ◽

pp. 968-975 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rebecca L.M. Stewart ◽

Mélanie F. Guigueno ◽

Spencer G. Sealy

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

High Frequency ◽

Egg Size ◽

Host Size ◽

Nest Size ◽

Brood Parasite ◽

Turdus Migratorius ◽

Yellow Warbler ◽

American Robin ◽

Yellow Warblers

The Yellow Warbler ( Setophaga petechia (L., 1766)) is among the putative hosts of the Black-billed Cuckoo ( Coccyzus erythropthalmus (Wilson, 1811)), which is hypothesized to have once been an obligate brood parasite. Most parasites lay a small egg relative to their body size, possibly to prevent hosts from discriminating against the larger egg and to facilitate incubation. We tested whether warblers, which lay eggs ~17% of the volume of cuckoo eggs, could have potentially been suitable hosts of Coccyzus cuckoos by determining whether they accept and successfully incubate cuckoo-sized eggs. Warblers accepted 63% (n = 54) of cuckoo-sized eggs added into their nests and successfully incubated eggs as large as cuckoo eggs (surrogate American Robin ( Turdus migratorius L., 1766) eggs). This suggests that the lower limit to host size is not just related to egg size. Warblers are not ideal hosts because they rejected a high frequency of experimental eggs (37%). Nests from which eggs were rejected tended to have smaller volumes than nests at which eggs were accepted. The nest cups of warblers are oval, which may promote egg crowding more than round cups. Factors such as nest size, not host size, influence acceptance or rejection of large eggs by Yellow Warblers.

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An experimental approach to evaluate the potential of drones in terrestrial mammal research: a gregarious ungulate as a study model

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.191482 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 191482 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Natalia M. Schroeder ◽

Antonella Panebianco ◽

Romina Gonzalez Musso ◽

Pablo Carmanchahi

Keyword(s):

Ground Level ◽

Unmanned Aircraft ◽

Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽

Arid Ecosystems ◽

Lama Guanicoe ◽

Terrestrial Mammals ◽

Species Specific ◽

Large Groups ◽

Remarkable Progress ◽

Good Visibility

Research on the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in wildlife has made remarkable progress recently. Few studies to date have experimentally evaluated the effect of UAS on animals and have usually focused primarily on aquatic fauna. In terrestrial open arid ecosystems, with relatively good visibility to detect animals but little environmental noise, there should be a trade-off between flying the UAS at high height above ground level (AGL) to limit the disturbance of animals and flying low enough to maintain count precision. In addition, body size or social aggregation of species can also affect the ability to detect animals from the air and their response to the UAS approach. To address this gap, we used a gregarious ungulate, the guanaco ( Lama guanicoe ), as a study model. Based on three types of experimental flights, we demonstrated that (i) the likelihood of miscounting guanacos in images increases with UAS height, but only for offspring and (ii) higher height AGL and lower UAS speed reduce disturbance, except for large groups, which always reacted. Our results call into question mostly indirect and observational previous evidence that terrestrial mammals are more tolerant to UAS than other species and highlight the need for experimental and species-specific studies before using UAS methods.

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Flowers up! The effect of floral height along the shoot axis on the fitness of bat-pollinated species

Annals of Botany ◽

10.1093/aob/mcz116 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 124 (5) ◽

pp. 809-818 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ugo M Diniz ◽

Arthur Domingos-Melo ◽

Isabel Cristina Machado

Keyword(s):

Linear Models ◽

Specific Effect ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Bat Pollination ◽

Nectar Feeding ◽

Flower Traits ◽

Species Specific ◽

Important System ◽

Inflorescence Length

Abstract Background and Aims Bat-pollination is an important system in terms of occurrence and distribution, although it remains little studied. Thus, the role of particular flower traits in this interaction remains uncertain. Flower height along the shoot axis, associated with flower exposure, has often been deemed a key trait in this system, but its effect on fitness has not previously been assessed. We aimed to test its role and propose that taller flowers attain higher fitness due to a higher degree of accessibility and conspicuity to foraging bats. Methods We assessed the effect of floral height on bat visiting rates to individual flowers of Crescentia cujete (Bignoniaceae), a cauliflorous model bat-pollinated species with a marked gradient in flower height along the shoot axis. Additionally, we tested the effect of this variable on seed/ovule ratio measurements from seven other species from different families along a herb–tree gradient. Hypotheses were tested through mixed-effect linear models. Key Results Bat visiting rates varied positively as a function of flower height in C. cujete, but significance was found only for the subset of flowers located on the trunk, closer to the ground. Similarly, seed/ovule ratios were positively correlated with flower height only for the three species with the shortest statures along the height gradient and shortest average floral heights. These results suggest that proximity to the ground, associated with herbaceous or bushy surrounding vegetation, may be an obstacle to the foraging of nectar-feeding bats, which in turn should explain the morphological convergence of inflorescence length and exposure strategies of short-statured bat-pollinated plants. Conclusions Flower height has a species-specific effect on plant fitness. This study provides a novel numerical perspective to the role of an unexplored trait in bat-pollination, and has elucidated some aspects of the adaptive importance of flower height based on limitations imposed by ecologically complex pollinators.

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Experimental validation of a species‐specific behavioral impact metric for underwater noise

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/1.4785743 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 118 (3) ◽

pp. 2019-2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jeremy R. Nedwell ◽

Joe Lovell ◽

Andrew W. H. Turnpenny

Keyword(s):

Experimental Validation ◽

Underwater Noise ◽

Species Specific ◽

Behavioral Impact

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ESTIMATING HOURLY PM2.5 CONCENTRATIONS FROM HIMAWARI-8 AOD OVER HUBEI PROVINCE

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprs-archives-xlii-4-77-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol XLII-4 ◽

pp. 77-85

Author(s):

J. Chen ◽

X. Huang

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Air Quality ◽

Wind Speed ◽

Large Scale ◽

Regional Distribution ◽

Ground Level ◽

Hubei Province ◽

Average Concentration ◽

Average Wind Speed ◽

Mixed Effect

Abstract. Satellite remote sensing can effectively estimate the particulate matter on a large scale. Polar-orbiting satellites have limited frequency of observations, which cannot help us understand PM2.5 evolution. The observation frequency of Himawari-8, a geostationary meteorological satellite, increases to at least once every 10min. Besides, this satellite can provide the hourly aerosol optical depth (AOD). PM2.5 concentration is closely associated with changes in wind speed. The air quality changes with the variations of wind direction and speed. In Hubei Province, the daily average wind speed varies greatly, while the wind significantly impacts the PM2.5 diffusion. In the present study, a mixed effect regression model is developed which predicts ground-level hourly PM2.5 concentrations in Hubei province and analyzes the hourly time variation trend and spatial distribution characteristics of the near ground PM2.5 concentrations using the annual Himawar-8 Level 2 aerosol product in 2016. The estimated hourly PM2.5 concentrations are consistent well with the surface PM2.5 measurements with high R2 (0.74) and low RMSE (20.5&mu;g∙m&minus;3). The average estimated PM2.5 in Hubei province during the study is about 46.1&mu;g∙m&minus;3. A clear regional distribution is shown in the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentrations, and the PM2.5 concentrations in the central and eastern regions of Hubei Province is significant higher than that of the western region; from the perspective of time change, the pollution peak appears at 15o'clock in the local time, the average concentration of PM2.5 reaches 50.1&plusmn;21.8&mu;g∙m&minus;3; the pollution reaches the lightest at 9o'clock a.m., and the average PM2.5 concentrations is 41.7&plusmn;17.5&mu;g∙m&minus;3. These results are conducive to assessing surface PM2.5 concentrations and monitoring regional air quality.

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Species-Specific Responses of Bird Song Output in the Presence of Drones