Flight calls are short vocalizations frequently associated with migratory behavior that may maintain group structure, signal individual identity, and facilitate intra- and interspecific communication. In this study, Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) flight call characteristics varied significantly by season and recording location, but not age or sex, and an individual's flight calls were significantly more similar to one another than to calls of other individuals. To determine if flight calls encode traits of the signaling individual during migration, we analyzed acoustic characteristics of the calls from the nocturnally migrating Magnolia Warbler. Specifically, we analyzed calls recorded from temporarily captured birds across the northeastern United States, including Appledore Island in Maine, Braddock Bay Bird Observatory in New York, and Powdermill Avian Research Center in Pennsylvania to quantify variation attributable to individual identity, sex, age, seasonality, and recording location. Overall, our findings suggest that Magnolia Warbler flight calls may show meaningful individual variation and exhibit previously undescribed spatiotemporal variation, providing a basis for future research.
LAY SUMMARY
Flight calls are short vocalizations frequently associated with migratory behavior and may contribute to maintaining flock structure, signaling individual identity, and facilitating intra- and interspecific communication.
We analyzed acoustic characteristics of Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) flight calls, examining variation to determine if calls differed by individual, age, sex, season, and recording location.
Calls from the same individual were significantly more similar to one another than to calls of other individuals. Seasonality and recording location were significantly associated with call characteristics, while calls did not vary significantly by age and sex.
These findings suggest that it may eventually be possible to identify individual Magnolia Warblers within a small group by their vocalizations. This research helps us better understand Magnolia Warblers' migratory behavior, flight call differences due to geographical location, and the role of seasonality in flight call morphology.
Las llamadas de vuelo son vocalizaciones cortas frecuentemente asociadas con el comportamiento migratorio que pueden mantener la estructura del grupo, señalar la identidad individual y facilitar la comunicación intra- e inter-específica. En este estudio, las características de las llamadas de vuelo de Setophaga magnolia variaron significativamente según la estación y la ubicación de la grabación, pero no según la edad o el sexo, y las llamadas de vuelo de un individuo fueron significativamente más similares entre sí que las llamadas de otros individuos. Para determinar si las llamadas de vuelo codifican rasgos del individuo que emite las señales durante la migración, analizamos las características acústicas de las llamadas de individuos de S. magnolia que migran durante la noche. Específicamente, analizamos las llamadas grabadas de aves capturadas temporalmente en el noreste de los Estados Unidos, incluyendo la Isla Appledore en Maine, el Observatorio de Aves de Braddock Bay en Nueva York y el Centro de Investigación de Aves Powdermill en Pensilvania, para cuantificar la variación atribuible a la identidad individual, el sexo, la edad, la estacionalidad y la ubicación de la grabación. En general, nuestros hallazgos sugieren que las llamadas de vuelo de S. magnolia pueden mostrar una variación individual significativa y exhibir una variación espaciotemporal previamente no descrita, lo que proporciona una base para investigaciones futuras.
