Vocalizations are important forms of communication used by many bird species for territory defense and mate attraction. However, urbanization and the accompanying urban noise can interfere with this communication. Birds can compensate for these changes by changing how or when they sing, but not all species react to the same degree. Predicting which species are capable adjusting their vocalizations in noisy conditions and how they do so, will help identify which species may suffer communication challenges from the increasing world-wide urbanization. Two species of chickadee (mountain and black-capped) are closely related and have similar vocalizations, but differ in their vocalizing behaviour. In this talk I will discuss experimental work from my PhD on how these behavioural differences reflect the relative abilities of these two species to adjust their vocalizations in noise.

The Natural Resources & Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC hosts a weekly lecture series at the Prince George campus. Anyone from the university or wider community with interest in the topic area is welcome to attend. Presentations are also made available to remote participants through Livestream or Blackboard Elluminate. More information will be posted about the presentation as it becomes available.

Past NRESi colloquia and special lectures can be viewed on our video archive, available here.