SONG STRUCTURE AND CADENCE OF THE VEERY (CATHARUS FUSCESCENS) IN THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS

摘要

We recorded the natural song of male Veeries (Catharus fuscescens) on breeding territories to examine variation in song structure, repertoire size, and patterns of song delivery. Despite wide distribution of Veeries, many aspects of their biology are largely unknown, including a clear characterization of song and singing behavior. Recordings were made in four regions through the Appalachian Mountains in the USA. Visual analysis of song spectrogram images revealed that Veeries present their song repertoires in an oscillating frequency pattern, a previously undocumented feature of their singing behavior. Analysis showed Veeries' repertoire ranges from 1-6 different song types, which is larger than what was previously described in the literature. Spectrogram analysis suggested that Veeries present song repertoires in predictable patterns, and patterns of song presentation can change depending on repertoire size. Songs and singing behavior did not differ between dawn and dusk singing bouts. Received 26 January 2015. Accepted 9 July 2015.