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Great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) can detect auditory cues while diving

The Science of Nature volume 104, Article number: 45 (2017) Cite this article

Abstract

In-air hearing in birds has been thoroughly investigated. Sound provides birds with auditory information for species and individual recognition from their complex vocalizations, as well as cues while foraging and for avoiding predators. Some 10% of existing species of birds obtain their food under the water surface. Whether some of these birds make use of acoustic cues while underwater is unknown. An interesting species in this respect is the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), being one of the most effective marine predators and relying on the aquatic environment for food year round. Here, its underwater hearing abilities were investigated using psychophysics, where the bird learned to detect the presence or absence of a tone while submerged. The greatest sensitivity was found at 2 kHz, with an underwater hearing threshold of 71 dB re 1 μPa rms. The great cormorant is better at hearing underwater than expected, and the hearing thresholds are comparable to seals and toothed whales in the frequency band 1–4 kHz. This opens up the possibility of cormorants and other aquatic birds having special adaptations for underwater hearing and making use of underwater acoustic cues from, e.g., conspecifics, their surroundings, as well as prey and predators.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the many trainers and volunteers that have helped with the husbandry and training of the cormorants, especially L. Seidelin and S. Johansen. This work is funded by grants from the Danish Council for Independent Research | Natural Sciences, the Carlsberg Foundation, and a grant from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Marine Biological Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Hindsholmvej 11, 5300, Kerteminde, Denmark

    Kirstin Anderson Hansen, Alyssa Maxwell, Ole Næsbye Larsen & Magnus Wahlberg

  2. Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173, Hannover, Germany

    Ursula Siebert

Authors
  1. Kirstin Anderson Hansen
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  2. Alyssa Maxwell
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  3. Ursula Siebert
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  4. Ole Næsbye Larsen
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  5. Magnus Wahlberg
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Contributions

Conceptualization, K. A. H., O. N. L., AND M. W.; Methodology, K. A. H. and M. W.; Software, M. W.; Investigation, K. A. H.; Formal analysis, K. A. H., A.M., AND M. W.; Funding acquisition, M. W., O. N. L., and U. S.; Writing-original draft, K. A. H. and M. W.; Review and editing, A. M., O. N. L., and U. S.

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Correspondence to Kirstin Anderson Hansen.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Hansen, K.A., Maxwell, A., Siebert, U. et al. Great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) can detect auditory cues while diving. Sci Nat 104, 45 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-017-1467-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-017-1467-3

Keywords

  • Aquatic birds
  • Psychophysics
  • Sensory adaptation
  • Threshold
  • Underwater acoustics