Journal article
Acoustic identification of bats from directly sampled and time expanded recordings of vocalizations
Acta Chiropterologica, Vol.2(2), pp.155-170
2000
Abstract
We review how time-expanded recordings and direct sampling of sound can be used to identify some bat species from their vocalizations, and how such methods may be applied to field surveys of bat activity. Some species emit distinctive social calls that permit identification, and social calls may be individually distinctive within species. Analysis of echolocation calls can identify cryptic species that are very similar in appearance, but differ in echolocation calls. Echolocation calls vary according to ecology and morphology both across and within species. Although some species emit distinctive echolocation calls, great care must be used in the acoustic identification of other species, especially in cluttered habitats. Species identification from echolocation calls is best approached by quantitative analysis, such as discriminant function analysis (DFA) based on several measurements taken from calls. DFA gives an objective measure of confidence in species identification, and can be applied to surveys of habitat use providing that certain limitations are recognised. Discrimination of species from their echolocation calls may be improved by quantifying the shape of calls from their frequency-time course, and by using artificial neural networks. Feeding rates can be estimated in bat detector surveys, though not all terminal buzzes emitted prior to prey capture are associated with successful capture of prey. Time expansion and direct sampling methods retain more detail of individual echolocation calls than do other methods. Not only can these methods be used to a certain extent for species identification and habitat use studies, they remain the only suitable methods for describing call design in bats from a detailed bioacoustics perspective.
Details
- Title
- Acoustic identification of bats from directly sampled and time expanded recordings of vocalizations
- Authors
- Gareth R Jones (Author) - University of BristolNancy Vaughan (Author) - University of BristolStuart Parsons (Author) - University of Bristol
- Publication details
- Acta Chiropterologica, Vol.2(2), pp.155-170
- Publisher
- Polish Academy of Sciences
- ISSN
- 1733-5329
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99576106702621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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