Acoustic communication in a king penguin colony: importance of bird location within the colony and of the body position of the listener |
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Authors: | Thierry Lengagne Thierry Aubin Pierre Jouventin Jacques Lauga |
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Institution: | (1) NAM-CNRS URA 1491, Bat 446 Université Paris sud, F-91400 Orsay, France e-mail: Thierry.Lengagne@ibaic.u-psud.fr, Fax: +33-1-69157726, FR;(2) CEBC-CNRS UPR 4701, F-79360 Villiers-en Bois, France, FR;(3) UMR 5552, Laboratoire d'Ecologie terrestre, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse cedex, France, FR |
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Abstract: | This study focuses on the propagation of the display call used for individual recognition between penguin partners. Transmission
of acoustic information in a noisy environment such as a king penguin colony is very difficult. Conditions of propagation
were examined for two areas of the colony (hatching and courtship areas) and reception at three heights from the ground (10,
45 and 90 cm). Signal modification was assessed in terms of attenuation of signal, amplitude modulation and spectral content.
The acoustic recognition of the mate, which is decisive for breeding success, took place in the hatching area where signal
degradation was less great for all parameters studied. When the receiver was located 10 cm above the ground, degradation of
the signal was much more pronounced than when it was located 45 or 90 cm above ground. The characteristic incubating attitude
of the king penguin (i.e. standing with the head at 45 cm above the ground) enables it to receive the main part of the signal
in spite of the noisy environment.
Accepted: 19 October 1998 |
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