2021/06/09 by Collier, Josephine, Hoolihan, Skye, Jakob, Ethan +1
#acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) #auditory signaling #focal sampling #interspecies relationships #playback
paper · doi:10.21973/n3c963
Acorn woodpeckers are a community-oriented species that, like other birds, uses and responds to vocalizations as a form of communication. The calls of certain competitors, predators, and intraspecific individuals change the behavior of a listener in different ways. The behaviors of three acorn woodpecker colonies were observed in response to four recordings: Steller’s jay, sharp-shinned hawk, an acorn woodpecker distress call, and a control. An ethogram was recorded for pre-call and post-call behavior of each colony. Behavioral response varied between colonies, possibly due to environmental factors and developed behaviors, leading to inconclusive results.