Ornithology Commons^™

Constraints On Acoustic Signaling Among Birds Breeding In Secondary Cavities: The Effects Of Weather, Cavity Material, And Noise On Sound Propagation, John P. Swaddle, Caitlin R. Kight, Saji Perera, Eduardo Davila-Reyes, Shena Sikora

Arts & Sciences Articles

Increasing evidence suggests that anthropogenic noise from urbanization affects animal acoustic communication. We investigated whether the begging calls of nestling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) varied along a disturbance gradient of ambient noise. Contrary to our prediction and the results of a previous study of nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), we found that nestling Eastern Bluebirds did not increase the amplitude or structural characteristics—including frequency, rate, and duration—of their vocalizations in response to ambient noise. However, we found that prevalent temperature and humidity conditions attenuated begging calls. Specifically, in warmer, more humid weather, vocalizations of nestling Eastern …

The Aerodynamics Of Flapping Birdflight, Carol Coughlin, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

No abstract provided.

A Mathematical Analysis Of The Dynamic Soaring Flight Of The Albatross With Ecological Interpretations, Carol Coughlin

Reports

The capability of flight plays a central role in the lives of most birds. Indeed, the existing morphological and ecological characteristics of many species are almost entirely dictated by the aerodynamic requirements of the highly developed flight modes they have acquired through evolutional specialization. In the case of such species, a clear understanding of the aerodynamic mechanisms underlying the particular flight modes can often provide a lucid insight into the basic physical relationships which govern a bird's characteristic activities and behavior.

This aerodynamic approach to the study of avian ecology is particularly useful in the case of soaring birds, where …