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Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) flight calls demonstrate individuality and variation by season and recording location

Cite this dataset

Ress, Elliott et al. (2023). Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) flight calls demonstrate individuality and variation by season and recording location [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1vhhmgr0w

Abstract

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.

README: Data for: Magnolia Warbler (Setophaga magnolia) flight calls demonstrate individuality and variation by season and recording location

https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1vhhmgr0w

This record contains tabular acoustic measurements made in Raven Pro, recording metadata, and all analysis code and output.

Description of the data and file structure

The folder 1_prepare_measurements contains three subfolders:

  • 0_inputs

    • The metadata subfolder contains metadata for each recording used in the analysis.
    • The selection_tables subfolder contains measurements made in Raven Pro for each call analyzed.
  • 1_code

    • The R script 1_load_selection_tables.R uses data files in 0_inputs. It summarizes acoustic measurements, calculates derived measurements, and merges the measurements with recording metadata. It then outputs a compiled dataset in csv format: 2_outputs/selections_compiled.csv. 0_selection_table_functions.R is a helper script that is called by 1_load_selection_tables.R and stores functions used in that script.
  • 2_outputs

    • The compiled output csv file selections_compiled.csv from the R script 1_code/1_load_selection_tables.R is saved here. This file is used as input for the statistical analysis.

The folder 2_analysis contains two subfolders:

  • 1_code

    • The R script 1_analysis.R uses 1_prepare_measurements/2_outputs/selections_compiled.csv as input to conduct statistical analysis as described in the research paper. It outputs figures and tables in 2_outputs.
  • 2_outputs

    • Contains figures and tables generated by 1_code/1_analysis.R.

Sharing/Access information

Acoustic measurements provided here were made on audio recordings of temporarily captured wild migrant Magnolia Warblers (Setophaga magnolia) from Lanzone et al. (2009) and Morris et al. (2016). Recordings were made at three locations across the northeastern United States: Appledore Island Migration Station (AIMS) on Appledore Island off the coast of Maine; Braddock Bay Bird Observatory (BBBO) in western New York state; and Powdermill Avian Research Center (PARC) in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Lanzone, M., DeLeon, E., Grove, L., & Farnsworth, A. (2009). Revealing undocumented or poorly known flight calls of warblers (Parulidae) using a novel method of recording birds in captivity. The Auk, 126(3), 511–519. https://doi.org/10.1525/auk.2009.08187

Morris, S. R., Horton, K. G., Tegeler, A. K., & Lanzone, M. (2016). Individual flight-calling behaviour in wood warblers. Animal Behaviour, 114, 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.01.027

Funding

Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Kristen Rupert and John Foote Undergraduate Research Fund