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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 105(3)

Acoustic identification of individual Rufous Bristlebirds, a threatened species with complex song repertoires

Daniel J. Rogers A B and David C. Paton A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Discipline of Environmental Biology, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: daniel.rogers@adelaide.edu.au

Emu 105(3) 203-210 https://doi.org/10.1071/MU05040
Submitted: 17 February 2005  Accepted: 10 August 2005   Published: 12 October 2005

Abstract

Rufous Bristlebirds (Dasyornis broadbenti), possess song repertoires of between 12 and 30 different song-types, only a proportion of which are shared between different individuals. As a result, the comparison of songs among individuals is complicated by the use of multiple song-types. Using both discriminant function analysis (DFA) and spectrographic cross-correlation analysis (SPCC), those song-types that were shared among individuals demonstrated high levels of vocal individuality. DFA correctly classified an average of 98.3 ± 1.2% of male songs, whereas SPCC correctly classified an average of 87.4 ± 2.8% of songs. However, common song features among song-types showed limited value for individual identification. The information provided by the SPCC analyses was then used to discriminate among individuals over a distance of 7.8 km, the results of which supported those of previous studies with regard to the sedentary nature of Bristlebirds. Although the results of the present study show promise, the issue of song comparisons among multiple song-types remains a significant challenge for the development of acoustic identification systems for this species.


Acknowledgments

We thank John Seymour and Barbara Wilson for helpful discussions regarding the biology of the Rufous Bristlebird. Financial support for the project was provided by the Department of Environmental Biology, University of Adelaide, and the RSPCA Australia Alan White Scholarship.


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