01735nas a2200205   4500008004100000245011900041210006900160520102900229653002001258653002801278653001901306653001401325653002301339100002401362700002101386700002101407700002601428700002001454856005501474       2020                        eng d00aCalling rhythm as a predictor of the outcome of vocal interactions: flight departure in pale-winged starling pairs0 aCalling rhythm as a predictor of the outcome of vocal interactio3 a<p>Vocal communication plays an important role in the regulation of social interactions and the coordination of activities in many animal species. Synchrony is an essential part of the establishment and maintenance of pair bonds, but few reports have investigated decision-making at the pair level. We investigated temporal characteristics of call exchanges in pale-winged starlings (Onychognathus nabouroup) that could predict whether one, two, or neither members of a pair would take off. Our analysis of these interactions revealed that the overall rhythm of a call exchange, as well as the acceleration towards the end of an interaction, were significantly associated with the type of behavioural outcome. Faster rhythms were associated with higher probabilities that both birds would fly away. Our results confirm the findings of previous studies showing that higher rates of alarm calls indicate imminent departure and highlight the relationship between temporal features of vocal interactions and their outcome.</p>
10adecision-making10aOnychognathus nabouroup10aPreflight call10aSturnidae10aVocal interactions1 aHausberger, Martine1 aGiacalone, Aline1 aHarmand, Mariane1 aCraig, Adrian, J.F.K.1 aHenry, Laurence  uhttp://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00114-019-1658-102274nas a2200241   4500008004100000022001400041245009400055210006900149260001600218300001500234520143200249653000901681653002001690653001301710653002101723653001001744653000901754100001701763700002401780700002101804700002101825856018601846       2019                        eng d  a0022-094900aNoise as an informational cue for decision-making: the sound of rain delays bat emergence0 aNoise as an informational cue for decisionmaking the sound of ra  cSep-01-2020  ajeb.1920053 a<p>Background noise can have strong negative consequences on animals, reducing individual fitness by masking communication signals, impeding prey detection and increasing predation risk. While the negative impacts of noise across taxa have been well documented, the use of noise as an informational cue, providing animals with reliable information on environmental conditions has been less well studied. In the tropical rainforest, downpours can be intense and frequent. Strong rainfall may impede efficient orientation and foraging for bats that need echolocation to both navigate and detect prey, and can result in higher flight costs due to increased metabolic rates. Using playback experiments at natural roosts we tested whether two bat species, differing in their hunting strategies and foraging habitats, use rain noise as a cue to delay emergence from their roosts. We found that both species significantly delayed their emergence time during rain noise playbacks compared to silence and ambient noise controls. We conclude that bats can use background noise, here the acoustic component of rainfall, as a reliable informational cue to make informed decisions, here about whether to initiate foraging trips or remain in the shelter of their roosts. Our findings suggest that environmental background noise can sometimes be beneficial to animals, in particular in situations where other sensory cues may be absent.</p>
10abats10adecision-making10aforaging10ainformation cues10aNoise10arain1 aGeipel, Inga1 aSmeekes, Marcus, J.1 aHalfwerk, Wouter1 aPage, Rachel, A.  uhttp://jeb.biologists.org/lookup/doi/10.1242/jeb.192005https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1242/jeb.192005https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1242/jeb.192005