Title:

Data for sound comparisons of auditory frightening devices and antipredator responses of nuisance blackbirds

Author(s):

Duttenhefner, Jessica L.; Klug, Page E.

Publication Year:

2024

How to Cite:

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

Duttenhefner, Jessica L.; Klug, Page E. 2024. Data for sound comparisons of auditory frightening devices and antipredator responses of nuisance blackbirds. Research Dataset Series. USDA, APHIS, WS National Wildlife Research Center. Ft. Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.2737/NWRC-RDS-2024-002

Abstract:

In August 2022, at a recently harvested agricultural field in Foster County, North Dakota, we collected sound attenuation data within the hearing range of blackbirds (Icteridae) for a propane cannon, rifle and shotgun within 500 meters of the detonation point. We also examined the responses (i.e., relaxed, vigilant, startled) of 32 red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and 32 brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) to blasts when placed 15–495 meters from a cannon. The August 2020 study took place on flat terrain in a harvested agricultural field with no vegetative barriers at the North Dakota State University Agronomy Seed Farm in Casselton, North Dakota. Birds were placed in small, individual cages (covered to minimize visual stimuli) and we evaluated startle responses to the impulsive sound of the cannon with two experiments: 1) incremental, where we exposed birds to a series of blasts at decreasing distances and 2) random assignment, where we randomly assigned birds a distance and exposed them to four cannon blasts in quick succession. This data publication contains the data from both studies and the R code used to analyze these data.

Keywords:

biota; Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment; Wildlife (or Fauna); Birds; acoustics; frightening devices; avian hearing; hazing; sensory ecology; vertebrate pests; wildlife damage management; North Dakota

Related publications:

• Duttenhefner, Jessica L.; Klug, Page E. 2024. Effective range of auditory frightening devices based on hearing capabilities and antipredator responses of nuisance blackbirds. Wildlife Society Bulletin. e1549. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1549

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