Experimental chronic noise exposure affects adult song in zebra finches

Potvin, Dominique A.; MacDougall‐Shackleton, Scott A.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.06.021

Cited by 21 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…While the commonest suggested reason for the higher frequency songs observed in urban birds has been that these pitch shifts are a response to low-frequency noise, our experiments indicate that chronic exposure to city-like noise did not induce frequency shifts within individual birds. Although there have only been a few studies that have examined the effects of noise exposure on individual song frequency shifts [27,29,30], our findings are contrary to those previous studies, but support the prediction of Slabbekoorn and den Boer-Visser that urban-forest population differences are likely to result from differences in song repertoire composition rather than individuals modifying the same song types [8].…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 93%

“…Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis), immediately lowered the minimum frequency of their calls in response to high-frequency noise playback, but did not raise minimum frequency in response to low-frequency noise [28]. In another study, long-term experimental traffic noise exposure in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata, led adult males to sing with lower minimum frequencies after a five month long period of noise exposure [29], an adjustment opposite of what would be predicted by the hypothesis that birds shift songs up to gain a release from masking noise, and opposite of what would be predicted by the Lombard hypothesis.…”

Section: (B) Noise Adult Plasticity and Microevolutionary Changesmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Higher songs of city birds may not be an individual response to noise

et al. 2017

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It has been observed in many songbird species that populations in noisy urban areas sing with a higher minimum frequency than do matched populations in quieter, less developed areas. However, why and how this divergence occurs is not yet understood. We experimentally tested whether chronic noise exposure during vocal learning results in songs with higher minimum frequencies in great tits (), the first species for which a correlation between anthropogenic noise and song frequency was observed. We also tested vocal plasticity of adult great tits in response to changing background noise levels by measuring song frequency and amplitude as we changed noise conditions. We show that noise exposure during ontogeny did not result in songs with higher minimum frequencies. In addition, we found that adult birds did not make any frequency or song usage adjustments when their background noise conditions were changed after song crystallization. These results challenge the common view of vocal adjustments by city birds, as they suggest that either noise itself is not the causal force driving the divergence of song frequency between urban and forest populations, or that noise induces population-wide changes over a time scale of several generations rather than causing changes in individual behaviour.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 93%

Section: (B) Noise Adult Plasticity and Microevolutionary Changesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Higher songs of city birds may not be an individual response to noise

et al. 2017

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“…A decrease in spectral parameters of songs has been observed in several laboratory studies that involve birds with acquired hearing loss. The downward shift in song frequency (±200 Hz) observed in the current study is consistent with the effect observed in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) with acquired hearing loss due to longterm noise exposure (Potvin & MacDougall-Shackleton, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Aircraft sound exposure leads to song frequency decline and elevated aggression in wild chiffchaffs

Wolfenden

Slabbekoorn

Kluk

et al. 2019

Journal of Animal Ecology

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The ubiquitous anthropogenic low‐frequency noise impedes communication by masking animal signals. To overcome this communication barrier, animals may increase the frequency, amplitude and delivery rate of their acoustic signals, making them more easily heard. However, a direct impact of intermittent, high‐level aircraft noise on birds’ behaviour living close to a runway has not been studied in detail. We recorded common chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collybita songs near two airports and nearby control areas, and we measured sound levels in their territories at Manchester Airport. The song recordings were made in between aircraft movements, when ambient sound levels were similar between airport and control populations. We also conducted playback experiments at the airport and a control population to test the salience of airport, and control population specific songs. In contrast to the general pattern of increased song frequency in noisy areas, we show that common chiffchaffs at airports show a negative relationship between noise exposure level and song frequency. Experimental data show that chiffchaffs living near airports also respond more aggressively to song playback. Since the decrease in song frequency results in increased overlap with aircraft noise, these findings cannot be explained as an adaptation to improve communication. The increased levels of aggression suggest that chiffchaffs, like humans, might be affected behaviourally by extreme noise pollution. These findings should influence environmental impact assessments for airport expansions globally.

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“…A process concomitant with habituation but having a contrasting nature is sensitization, by means of which responses are enhanced due to repetitive stimulation. For instance, birds Taenopygia guttata subjected to prolonged traffic noise exposure experience spectral vocal changes that persist during two months after the cessation of the exposure (Potvin & MacDougall-Shackelton, 2015). Effects of prolonged experience with biotic signals on the activity of the auditory system have been reported in birds Sturnus vulgaris and frogs Hyla cinerea exposed during days to conspecific call pattern (Gall & Wilczynski, 2014;Sockman, Gentner, & Ball, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restricted responsiveness to noise interference in two anurans from the southern temperate forest

2017

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Animals adopt different strategies to communicate by means of sound in noisy environments such that some species increase, while others decrease their vocal activity in the presence of interference. Anuran amphibians from diverse latitudes exhibit both kinds of responses. Recent studies have shown that males of Batrachyla taeniata and Batrachyla antartandica from the temperate austral forest do not call in response to the presentation of advertisement calls of sympatric congeneric species. In contrast, Batrachyla leptopus responds to these signals in a similar way as to conspecific calls. The responsiveness of B. taeniata to natural abiotic interference has also been tested and found that noises of such sources produce strong increases in vocal activity. To assess the diversity in responsiveness to acoustic intrusion in this group, we exposed males of B. leptopus and B. antartandica to prolonged pre‐recorded natural abiotic noises of wind, creek, rain, and to a band‐pass noise centered at 2,000 Hz, at 67 dB Sound Pressure Level (SPL). The subjects did not increase their vocal activity significantly when exposed to these sounds and to band‐pass noise at increasing intensities (55–79 dB SPL). These results contrast with the increase in vocal activity observed previously in B. taeniata to continuous abiotic noise and point to the existence of diverse strategies to confront acoustic intrusion among related species. The lack of vocal activation observed also contrasts with the responsiveness of B. leptopus to heterospecific signals, but parallels the lack of response to such sounds in B. antartandica. Furthermore, the results obtained contrast with the responsiveness of these species to synthetic prolonged sounds observed in previous studies, suggesting that the modes of responses to acoustic intrusion may depend on previous experience, rather than having a species‐specific nature.

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Experimental chronic noise exposure affects adult song in zebra finches

Cited by 21 publications

References 66 publications

Higher songs of city birds may not be an individual response to noise

Higher songs of city birds may not be an individual response to noise

Aircraft sound exposure leads to song frequency decline and elevated aggression in wild chiffchaffs

Restricted responsiveness to noise interference in two anurans from the southern temperate forest

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