The abstract for the paper referred to in http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/urban-songbirds-change-their-tune-20110105-19g94.html
is as follows
Geographically pervasive effects of urban noise on frequency and
syllable rate of songs and calls in silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis)
Dominique A. Potvin, Kirsten M. Parris and Raoul A. Mulder
Published online before print
Proc. R. Soc. B January 5, 2011, doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.2296
Abstract
Recent studies in the Northern Hemisphere have shown that songbirds
living in noisy urban environments sing at higher frequencies than
their rural counterparts. However, several aspects of this phenomenon
remain poorly understood. These include the geographical scale over
which such patterns occur (most studies have compared local
populations), and whether they involve phenotypic plasticity or
microevolutionary change. We conducted a field study of silvereye
(Zosterops lateralis) vocalizations over more than 1 million km2 of
urban and rural south-eastern Australia, and compared possible effects
of urban noise on songs (which are learned) and contact calls (which
are innate). Across 14 paired urban and rural populations, silvereyes
consistently sang both songs and contact calls at higher frequencies
in urban environments. Syllable rate (syllables per second) decreased
in urban environments, consistent with the hypothesis that reflective
structures degrade song and encourage longer intervals between
syllables. This comprehensive study is, to our knowledge, the first to
demonstrate varied adaptations of urban bird vocalizations over a vast
geographical area, and to provide insight into the mechanism
responsible for these changes.
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