Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird.

Computer-assisted species recognition facilitates the analysis of relevant biological information in continuous audio recordings. In the present study, we assess the suitability of this approach for determining distinct life-cycle phases of the Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis lampronotus based o...

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Main Authors: Olaf Jahn, Todor D Ganchev, Marinez I Marques, Karl-L Schuchmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5235375?pdf=render
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author Olaf Jahn
Todor D Ganchev
Marinez I Marques
Karl-L Schuchmann
author_facet Olaf Jahn
Todor D Ganchev
Marinez I Marques
Karl-L Schuchmann
author_sort Olaf Jahn
collection DOAJ
description Computer-assisted species recognition facilitates the analysis of relevant biological information in continuous audio recordings. In the present study, we assess the suitability of this approach for determining distinct life-cycle phases of the Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis lampronotus based on adult vocal activity. For this purpose we use passive 14-min and 30-min soundscape recordings (n = 33 201) collected in 24/7 mode between November 2012 and October 2013 in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands. Time-stamped detections of V. chilensis call events (n = 62 292) were obtained with a species-specific sound recognizer. We demonstrate that the breeding season fell in a three-month period from mid-May to early August 2013, between the end of the flood cycle and the height of the dry season. Several phases of the lapwing's life history were identified with presumed error margins of a few days: pre-breeding, territory establishment and egg-laying, incubation, hatching, parental defense of chicks, and post-breeding. Diurnal time budgets confirm high acoustic activity levels during midday hours in June and July, indicative of adults defending young. By August, activity patterns had reverted to nonbreeding mode, with peaks around dawn and dusk and low call frequency during midday heat. We assess the current technological limitations of the V. chilensis recognizer through a comprehensive performance assessment and scrutinize the usefulness of automated acoustic recognizers in studies on the distribution pattern, ecology, life history, and conservation status of sound-producing animal species.
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spelling doaj.art-c11a39a501f34a5f88052f49a638c3612022-12-21T22:23:54ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-01121e016904110.1371/journal.pone.0169041Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird.Olaf JahnTodor D GanchevMarinez I MarquesKarl-L SchuchmannComputer-assisted species recognition facilitates the analysis of relevant biological information in continuous audio recordings. In the present study, we assess the suitability of this approach for determining distinct life-cycle phases of the Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis lampronotus based on adult vocal activity. For this purpose we use passive 14-min and 30-min soundscape recordings (n = 33 201) collected in 24/7 mode between November 2012 and October 2013 in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands. Time-stamped detections of V. chilensis call events (n = 62 292) were obtained with a species-specific sound recognizer. We demonstrate that the breeding season fell in a three-month period from mid-May to early August 2013, between the end of the flood cycle and the height of the dry season. Several phases of the lapwing's life history were identified with presumed error margins of a few days: pre-breeding, territory establishment and egg-laying, incubation, hatching, parental defense of chicks, and post-breeding. Diurnal time budgets confirm high acoustic activity levels during midday hours in June and July, indicative of adults defending young. By August, activity patterns had reverted to nonbreeding mode, with peaks around dawn and dusk and low call frequency during midday heat. We assess the current technological limitations of the V. chilensis recognizer through a comprehensive performance assessment and scrutinize the usefulness of automated acoustic recognizers in studies on the distribution pattern, ecology, life history, and conservation status of sound-producing animal species.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5235375?pdf=render
spellingShingle Olaf Jahn
Todor D Ganchev
Marinez I Marques
Karl-L Schuchmann
Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird.
PLoS ONE
title Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird.
title_full Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird.
title_fullStr Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird.
title_full_unstemmed Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird.
title_short Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird.
title_sort automated sound recognition provides insights into the behavioral ecology of a tropical bird
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5235375?pdf=render
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AT karllschuchmann automatedsoundrecognitionprovidesinsightsintothebehavioralecologyofatropicalbird