Data from: A minimum-impact, flexible tool to study vocal communication of small animals with precise individual-level resolution

1.To understand both proximate and ultimate factors shaping vocal communication, it is fundamental to obtain reliable information of participating individuals on different levels: Firstly, it is necessary to separate and assign the individuals’ vocalisations. Secondly, the precise timing of vocal events needs to be retained. Thirdly, vocal behaviour should be recorded from undisturbed animals in meaningful settings. A growing number of studies used animal-attached microphones to tackle these issues, but the implications for the study species and the research question often receded into the background. Here we aim to initiate a discussion about the limitations, possible applications and the broader potential of such methods. 2. Using lightweight wireless microphone backpacks (0.75 g including customised leg-loop harness) combined with multi-channel recording equipment we captured vocal behaviour of small songbirds. We evaluated the effect of the devices at various levels, including an assessment of how vocal and locomotor activities were affected by initial device attachment and battery exchange. We compared our approach to existing studies and identified suitable research examples. 3. We acquired continuous vocalisation recordings of zebra finches, and unequivocally assigned them to interacting individuals, with system-based synchrony, irrespective of background noise. We found effects of initial backpack attachment and of battery replacement on vocal and locomotor activity, but they were minimised through the extended recording duration (ca. 16 days) that outlasted habituation effects (ca. 3 days). 4. This method provides the tools to integrate individual vocal communications into a group setting, while enabling animals to behave freely in undisturbed, structured and acoustically complex environments. By minimising the effects on the animals, the behaviour under study, and ultimately on the research question, this approach will revolutionize the ability to capture individual-level vocalisations in a variety of communication contexts, opening up many new opportunities to address novel research questions.

1. 要理解塑造声音交流的近因与终极因，获取不同层级参与交流个体的可靠信息至关重要：其一，需分离并归类个体的发声行为；其二，需保留发声事件的精确时序；其三，应在具备生态学意义的环境中记录未受干扰动物的发声行为。当前已有越来越多研究采用动物附着式麦克风来解决上述问题，但这类方法对研究物种与研究问题的潜在影响往往被忽视。本文旨在发起关于此类方法的局限性、可行应用场景及更广泛潜力的讨论。
2. 本研究采用含定制腿环背带总重0.75克的轻量化无线麦克风背戴装置，结合多通道录音设备，记录了小型鸣禽的发声行为。我们从多个维度评估了该设备的影响，包括评估初始安装设备与更换电池对发声及运动活动的作用。我们将本研究的方法与现有研究进行了对比，并确定了适用的研究案例。
3. 我们获取了斑胸草雀的连续发声录音，并借助系统级同步机制将录音无歧义地分配给对应的互动个体，不受背景噪音干扰。研究发现，初始安装背带与更换电池会对发声及运动活动产生影响，但通过延长录音时长（约16天）可将此类影响降至最低，该时长超过了动物的习惯化效应持续时长（约3天）。
4. 该方法可实现将个体声音交流整合至群体场景中，同时允许动物在未受干扰、结构完整且声学环境复杂的环境中自由活动。通过尽可能降低对动物、目标研究行为乃至最终研究问题的影响，此方法将革命性地推动在多种交流场景中获取个体层级发声数据的能力，为解决全新的研究问题开辟大量新机遇。