Frogs Call at a Higher Pitch in Traffic Noise
Male frogs call to attract females for mating and to defend territories from rival males. Female frogs of some species prefer lower-pitched calls, which indicate larger, more experienced males. Acoustic interference occurs when background noise reduces the active distance or the distance over which an acoustic signal can be detected. Birds are known to call […]
Estimating the diet of urban birds: The problems of anthropogenic food and food digestibility
A variety of methods exist for assessing the diets of wild birds, each of which has its strengths and weaknesses. The objective of this study was to compare diet data collected in parallel by behavioural observations and faecal analysis from an urban population of Penelope superciliaris (rusty-margined guan) over a 12-month continuous period (April 2006 […]
Sensitivity of Insectivorous Bats to Urbanization: Implications for Suburban Conservation Planning
Effective conservation planning requires an understanding of species–habitat relationships across a diverse array of taxa, yet many studies typically focus on conspicuous fauna. Using systematic acoustic surveys, we examine the response of insectivorousbat species to urbanization and quantify species–habitat relationships to classify species in terms of their tolerance or sensitivity. Surveys were conducted in Sydney, […]
An assessment of animal welfare for the culling of peri-urban kangaroos
Context Shooting is used to reduce the abundance of kangaroo (Macropus sp.) populations in many peri-urban areas in Australia, but there is uncertainty surrounding the animal welfare outcomes of this practice. Aim We assessed the animal welfare outcomes of night shooting for peri-urban eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus). We quantified the duration of stress for: […]