Abstract
The lunar cycle is known to affect the behaviour of strictly nocturnal species, but for diurnal species that are periodically active during the night, this has been less investigated. Nocturnal bird song is relatively common in diurnal species, yet research on this behaviour accounts for little of the research on avian vocalisations. This is surprising given that diurnal species are adapted for bright environments and therefore may be particularly sensitive to change in the lunar cycles. We used automated bioacoustic recorders and automatic song detection software to measure nocturnal song rate in a diurnal bird where both sexes sing, the willie wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys). We deployed recorders at eight locations across four naturally dark sites resulting in 457 h of nocturnal audio. We confirmed anecdotal evidence suggesting that willie wagtails are prolific nocturnal singers during the breeding season and demonstrate that while both male and females sing during the day, nocturnal song is largely sung by males. Moreover, we show that nocturnal song increased with lunar illumination, contrasting with previous research on other diurnal species that sing at night. Our data allow us to hypothesise possible functions for nocturnal song in this species, such as territory defence or mate attraction.
Significance statement
Despite being taxonomically widespread, nocturnal birdsong is largely overlooked in the literature. Anecdotal evidence suggests nocturnal song is positively influenced by the intensity of moonlight but evidence corroborating this is minimal and conflicting. More problematic is that all previous studies are biased towards male song from Northern Hemisphere species. We addressed these gaps by measuring nocturnal song, over the entire lunar cycle, in the willie wagtail, an Australian species. We demonstrate that nocturnal songs are from chorusing males during the breeding season exclusively and that nocturnal song rate increases with lunar illumination. Our work provides a foundation for hypothesizing the function of nocturnal song and contributes to understanding these patterns on a global level.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Barengi Gadjin, Bunurong and Wadawurrung peoples, the traditional custodians of the lands on which this work was conducted and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We thank Parks Victoria and property holders K. Hateley, D. Ellifson and H. Scott for allowing us to record on their property. Mist netting and censusing help were provided by the Mulder lab and field assistants. Thank you to L. Lafayette for help in accessing and using the high-performance computer facility and Spartan at Melbourne University. Thanks to M. Lockett, T. Keaney, and the Statistical Consulting Centre at Melbourne University for statistical help. We thank H. Brumm, V. Amrhein and one anonymous reviewer for comments which improved our manuscript.
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The research was supported by funding from the ESA Holsworth Endowment and the Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASSAB).
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Conception and design of the experiment, ALD, MLH, TMJ; collection of the data, ALD, MLH; analysis and interpretation of the data, ALD, MLH, TMJ; drafting or revising the article for intellectual content, ALD, MLH, TMJ. All authors approved the final version.
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This research adhered to the Animal Behaviour Society Guidelines for the use of animals and methods were approved by the University of Melbourne Animal Ethics Committee 1613983.4. Scientific permit number 10008095 approved by Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Banding approved by the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme, authority numbers 2073, 3031 and 3210.
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Dickerson, A.L., Hall, M.L. & Jones, T.M. The effect of variation in moonlight on nocturnal song of a diurnal bird species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 74, 109 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-020-02888-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-020-02888-z