Reconstruction of vocal interactions in a group of small songbirds

Nat Methods. 2014 Nov;11(11):1135-7. doi: 10.1038/nmeth.3114. Epub 2014 Sep 28.

Abstract

The main obstacle for investigating vocal interactions in vertebrates is the difficulty of discriminating individual vocalizations of rapidly moving, sometimes simultaneously vocalizing individuals. We developed a method of recording and analyzing individual vocalizations in free-ranging animals using ultraminiature back-attached sound and acceleration recorders. Our method allows the separation of zebra finch vocalizations irrespective of background noise and the number of vocalizing animals nearby.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Finches / physiology*
  • Male
  • Signal-To-Noise Ratio
  • Sound Spectrography / instrumentation
  • Sound Spectrography / methods*
  • Vocalization, Animal*