Anthropogenic noise affects male house wren response to but not detection of territorial intruders.

ABSTRACT: Anthropogenic noise decreases signal active space, or the area over which male bird song can be detected in the environment. For territorial males, noise may make it more difficult to detect and assess territorial challenges, which in turn may increase defense costs and influence whether males maintain territory ownership. We tested the hypothesis that noise affects the ability of male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) near active nests to detect intruders and alters responses to them. We broadcast pre-recorded male song and pink noise on territories to simulate intrusions with and without noise, as well as to noise alone. We measured detection by how long males took to sing or approach the speaker after the start of a playback. To measure whether playbacks changed male behavior, we compared

SUBMITTER: Grabarczyk EE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6668836 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature