Presentation Details
| Cultural Evolution of Song in a Species of Concern: the Seaside Sparrow Kate R Lewin1, Melissa Hughes1, Aaron Given2, Courtney Murren1, Allan Strand1. 1College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA.2Kiawah Conservancy, Kiawah, SC, USA |
Abstract
Studying temporal variation in birdsong can help us understand patterns of similarity and divergence in learned vocal behavior and inform conservation monitoring. MacGillivray’s Seaside Sparrow (Ammospiza maritima macgillivraii) is a nonmigratory subspecies of conservation concerns that inhabits coastal marshes along the southeastern US. We investigated cultural evolution in song of a genetically-isolated population in Charleston County, SC by comparing 2002 recordings to 2025. Songs were represented by sequences of acoustic elements and compared them using pairwise similarity metrics and used hierarchical clustering (UPGMA) to identify song patterns. We conducted both song-level and individual-level analyses to evaluate changes in song structure and repertoire composition. These results may help us understand long-term dynamics of vocal behavior and demonstrate the potential of acoustic monitoring for detecting change in a species of conservation concern.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
Content Locked. Log into a registered attendee account to access this presentation.