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Re: Introductory message

Subject: Re: Introductory message
From: "Steve Pelikan" <>
Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 00:02:01 -0500
Hello!
Welcome!

> My principle interest is in recording bird songs and calls.  I am
> particularly interested in differences within a species and even
> differences in the songs from the same individual.  My interest
> started several years ago when I realized that the Yellow-rumped
> Warbler that I was hearing at my house the end of April had exactly
> the same song as the previous year.  This song disappeared after a
> couple of weeks and other Yellow-rumped warbler songs replaced it.
> Did the bird move on or did it change its song?  Was it even the same
> song, or did I just think it was?  Are the songs unique enough to
> identify an individual bird?  Do the differences have something to do
> with where the bird is in the breading cycle?  How many different
> Yellow-rumped Warbler songs are there?  If the songs are close does
> this hint at a genetic closeness, an environmental closeness or did
> one hear the other a adopt the song?

I think these are fascinating questions. I've  been interested in a related
question --- simply trying to estimate the number of different songs that
birds have. I'd be happy to hear people's opinions on methods for estimating
repertoire sizes.

For warblers (they learn their songs almost exclusively during the first
summer, I believe) similarity of song could well represent geographically
similar origins. That woul be my first conjecture --- very little genetic
component to the structure of the songs. Payne has a long series of
publications on Indigo Bunting songs and the "cultural evolution" that takes
place as young learn songs from older birds. That might be a good place to
start reading. (One of his articles appears in one of the two compendia
edited by Kroodsma et. al., I think. And they'd both probably interest you
anyway.)

> I have had a great time trying to find answers.  I have been using
> rather cheap equipment.  (Radio Shack recorder and Microphone as
> suggest by Greg Kunkel's web page)  I was amazed at how good the
> results were but am looking to step up in quality.  I see that there
> is much discussion about equipment.  Marantz with shotgun mic?
> Minidisc with some kind of mic?  Parabloic dish?  Get an ATR -
> 55 for $85 for spend over $500 for a Sennheiser?  Because I often hike
> and record bird songs as only a secondary part of the trip, equipment
> size is very important.  I understand the problems with compression of
> minidiscs but still find them attractive.

If all you really want to do is make sonograms (for example) to compare and
identify different vocalizations you don't need to worry too much about
intrinsic noise levels since most important features show up pretty well in
a sonogram even with considerable background noise. And you needn't wory
much about the ATRAC compression, since (people seem to agree) it produces
sonograms that look pretty much like those from other recordinings. If you
plan on doing experiments that involve playing back sounds to the birds,
then you might worry about compression's effect.

Even if you CAN get by with basic stuff,  you'll probably get hooked on
trying toget nicesounding recordings as I did and want to improve your
equipment. (But I had lots of fun and learned lots working for several years
with a cassette recorded and okay microphone.)

TO be sure, if you want technical information about recording equipment,
you've come to the right place.

Have fun,

Steve Pelikan




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