Difference in the Number of Passerine Complex Songs Between a Rural and Urban Site

Daniel Rubianto*, Christopher Rota, and Ian Perkins*

School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26505-6125

Presentation Category: Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (Poster Presentation #66)

Student’s Major: Wildlife and Fisheries Resources

An increase of urban noise and regional changing climate differences can lead to different patterns in bird song as well as a change in song phenology. We conducted a study to compare the number of complex songs by northern cardinal, song sparrow, and white-throated sparrow between a rural and urban environment to better understand how singing phenology can differ due to differing levels of urban noise and climate. Audio recordings were taken from a rural and urban study site using autonomous recording units (ARUs) during sunrise times for each individual day. Recordings were analyzed to note the number of complex songs by each target species after sunrise in one ten-minute block for each day. We predict that there will be a difference in the number of complex songs for each species between the rural and urban site in the analyzed ten-minute blocks. The prediction would suggest that differing levels of noise due to urbanization and climate has some effect on complex song phenology and pattern among the target species. Further study can be taken to consider the differences in frequency and amplitude of the complex songs due to a difference in levels of urbanization.

Funding: Federal Work Study

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU's Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) & accompanying HONR 297-level course