Data from: Song playback increases songbird density near low to moderate use roads

Many songbird species avoid roads. Although acoustic masking, vehicle collision, and edge effects are likely culprits, spatial avoidance also occurs along low use roads and at locations distant from the pavement. Neophobia may be one factor contributing to avoidance in these regions. In this case, playback of bird song, generally a signal of high-quality habitat, may reduce avoidance and increase territory establishment. We investigated whether playback of song from 6 migratory species increased territory establishment along low to moderate use roads in a community of songbird species. We determined whether the intensity and regularity of anthropogenic noise altered the pattern of response, and whether particular life-history traits predicted which species were responsive to playback. Territory density was significantly higher where song playback was present. Species-specific responses were variable, with 11 species increasing territory density by >30% at playback sites and 6 species decreasing in density. Noise level did not significantly impact establishment. Foraging behavior, habitat, and song frequency predicted which species were most responsive to playback. These results are similar to a companion study conducted near forest edges that did not contain roads, and suggests that song playback may be a viable method for increasing songbird use of near road habitats. Although additional work is needed to understand the variable responses of particular species and to address vital issues, such as the reproductive success of lured birds, this study highlights a behavioral management technique that may have significant conservation implications along the vast worldwide network of roads.

诸多鸣禽物种会避让道路。尽管声学遮蔽（acoustic masking）、车辆碰撞（vehicle collision）与边缘效应（edge effects）被认为是潜在诱因，但即便在低流量道路沿线以及远离路面的区域，也存在空间避让行为。新物恐惧（neophobia）或是这类区域内鸟类避让道路的影响因素之一。在此情境下，鸣唱回放（bird song playback）——通常作为优质栖息生境的信号——或可降低鸟类的避让行为，提升领地建立成功率。本研究针对鸣禽群落中6个迁徙物种（migratory species）的鸣唱回放能否提升中低流量道路沿线的领地建立情况展开了调查。我们探究了人为噪声（anthropogenic noise）的强度与规律性是否会改变鸟类的响应模式，以及特定的生活史特征（life-history traits）是否可预测哪些物种会对鸣唱回放产生响应。结果显示，设置鸣唱回放的站点内，领地密度显著更高。物种特异性响应存在差异：11个物种在回放站点的领地密度提升超过30%，另有6个物种的领地密度出现下降。噪声水平未对领地建立产生显著影响。觅食行为、栖息生境与鸣唱频率可预测哪些物种对鸣唱回放的响应最为强烈。本研究结果与一项在无道路林缘附近开展的配套研究结论相似，表明鸣唱回放或是提升鸣禽对道路周边生境利用度的可行手段。尽管仍需开展更多研究以阐明特定物种的响应差异，并解决诸如诱集鸟类繁殖成功率等关键问题，但本研究揭示了一种行为管理手段，其在全球广袤的道路网络沿线可能具备重要的保护应用价值。