Automated call box system to conduct playback experiments to test wildlife social information hypothesis

Social cues reflect changes in behavioral tendencies and habitat selection by attraction or rejection by species in response to the experience and actions of other individuals (social information hypothesis). Vocalization is the most frequent communication in vertebrates, and the value of this information is paramount for knowledge of the social information hypothesis. Therefore, we developed the Automated Call Box (ACB) based on an open-source Arduino-compatible microcontroller that attaches to a speaker system to test the social information hypothesis. The unit has the ability to play songs or vocalizations of different species to test the influence of either conspecific or interspecific attraction on habitat choices. The ACB was successfully field-tested in the field to study the influence of conspecific cues on the habitat settlement of a migratory bird. In addition, this study describes in detail the costs of the materials to build this type of system, which can provide an overview as a reference for further research. This ACB allows researchers to conduct experiments on wildlife in inclement weather and complex environments, even in remote locations with minimum or no necessity for the researcher to be present to reset the equipment.