Evolution of species recognition when ecology and sexual selection favor signal stasis

These data were generated over an 11-year period in a study of song recognition among four related bird species in the Himalaya (Cyanoderma ambiguum, C. ruficeps, C. chrysaeum, C. pyrrhops), as well as close relatives. The data primarily consists of measurements of songs and notes of all species, and the strength of responses to playback of songs, some of which were experimentally manipulated for frequency., Abstract These data were generated over an 11-year period in a study of song recognition among four related bird species in the Himalaya (Cyanoderma ambiguum, C. ruficeps, C. chrysaeum, C. pyrrhops), as well as close relatives. The data primarily consists of measurements of songs and notes of all species, and the strength of responses to playback of songs, some of which were experimentally manipulated for frequency.
Methods During the breeding seasons 2011-2021, we visited localities across the Himalaya between one and ten times. We recorded songs using Telinga Twin Science microphones with a Sony PCM-D50 solid state recorder, or later with a Sound Devices Mixpre3 digital audio tape recorder. All the recordings were made in .wav file format with 16-bit resolution and 44.1-kHz sampling rate, or later with 24-bit resolution and 48 kHz sampling rate. For each recording, we noted altitude, date and locality. For the experimental analysis of frequency, we manipulated songs using the “Change ..., List of files
 
The excel file ‘metadata’ explains all the columns in the associated files.
 
Data file 1. This file gives all the original measurements (duration, frequency, number of notes and number of distinct notes) for all songs separately from each individual analyzed in the dataset. Altitude is not in this file, but in Data file 5. (wholesongs.csv)
Data file 2. Measurements of notes for south Asian species and populations. This file gives frequency, duration and note shape, including center frequency measurements for the four note quartiles, and the principal component scores extracted from it, as well as qualitative descriptions of shape (#notemaster.csv)
Data file 3. Amplitude. Mean amplitudes in quarter note intervals, for Fig. S6. (#eastHimwaves.csv)
Data File 4. For Figs. 2, 6, 7, S3. Results from the 550 playback experiments, including date, elevation, response on a 4-point scale, and whether it was a frequency-manipulated song. #Playbacks.xlsx
Data file 5. This is taken f...,