Data from: Using sounds for making decisions: greater tube-nosed bats prefer antagonistic calls over non-communicative sounds when feeding

Bats vocalize extensively within different social contexts. The type and
extent of information conveyed via their vocalizations and their
perceptual significance, however, remains controversial and difficult to
assess. Greater tube-nosed bats, Murina leucogaster, emit calls consisting
of long rectangular broadband noise burst (rBNBl) syllables during
aggression between males. To experimentally test the behavioral impact of
these sounds for feeding, we deployed an approach and place-preference
paradigm. Two food trays were placed on opposite sides and within
different acoustic microenvironments, created by sound playback, within a
specially constructed tent. Specifically, we tested whether the presence
of rBNBl sounds at a food source effectively deters the approach of male
bats in comparison to echolocation sounds and white noise. In each case,
contrary to our expectation, males preferred to feed at a location where
rBNBl sounds were present. We propose that the species-specific rBNBl
provides contextual information, not present within non-communicative
sounds, to facilitate approach towards a food source.