DOI: 10.5061/dryad.g79cnp608
title: Data from: Neighbors affect vocal behavior of tropical wrens: a multi-speaker density-manipulation experiment

description: For territorial animals, the behavior of conspecific neighbors sets the
 social context of communication. Despite numerous investigations of
 vocalizations related to territory defense and mate attraction, the effect
 of neighbor density on animal vocal behavior has received little
 attention, particularly in tropical animals and animals where both sexes
 produce complex acoustic signals. In this study, we used an innovative
 multi-speaker playback experiment to manipulate the apparent density of
 neighbors in Rufous-and-white Wrens, Thryophilus rufalbus, living in Costa
 Rica’s tropical dry forest. In this tropical songbird, both males and
 females, defend year-round territories and sing complex, learned songs for
 territory defense. We recorded the singing behavior of 24 subjects (12
 pairs) and then we used an array of six loudspeakers to simulate the
 presence of six new territorial neighbors (3 simulated pairs) outside each
 subject pair’s breeding territory. The stimuli persisted for three
 consecutive days with both male and female songs broadcast at a natural
 rate from dawn to dusk. We found that the mean male song rate increased by
 almost fifty percent in response to the simulated increase in local
 density. Females showed less frequent song-type switching rates following
 the simulated increase in local density, although it was a marginal
 increase. These findings reveal that male and female songbirds’ vocal
 behavior varies with the local density of territorial neighbors. We
 conclude that birds are sensitive to acoustic signals of conspecific
 density arising from sounds beyond their territory boundaries and that
 they use this public information to guide their vocal behavior.
description: Playback design: we developed a six-speaker playback design,
 consisting of three stereo pairs of customized digital loudspeakers to
 simulate three new neighboring pairs. Details of the custom-built
 loudspeakers are provided by Mennill et al. (2018). We recorded the vocal
 responses during 1 hour of the focal pair for three consecutive days. We
 compared the vocal responses of day 0 (pre-playback recording) vs. day 3.
 We evaluated three vocal responses: independent song, duet rate, and
 song-type switching rate in both, males and females Rufous-and-white
 Wrens. Statistical Analysis: We performed a Linear
 Mixed Model to test the effect of higher perceived density of conspecific
 neighbors on Rufous-and-white Wren's vocal behaviors.
description: # Data from: Neighbours affect vocal behavior of tropical wrens: a
 multi-speaker density-manipulation experiment
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g79cnp608](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g79cnp608) ## Description of the data and file structure The dataset consisted of two treatments: control (day 0) and treatment high density (day 3). We performed the experiment with 12 pairs: 12 males and 12 females Rufous-and-white Wrens. Two Files and three variables. #### File: Sanchez\_et\_al\_DATA\_INDEPENDENT\_SONG\_AND\_SWITCHING\_SONG\_RATE.xlsx **Description:** Rufous-and-white Wren singing rate and song-type switching rate Control (day 0) and Treatment (day 3) density manipulation experiment. Data was collected in 2022 and 2023 for 12 pairs, Sex M = 12 males, and Sex F = 12 females. Two treatments: Control (Day 0 = pre-playback experiment), Day 3 (high density of neighbors).  ##### Variables * IndepSongRate = the total number of songs sung by the male or the female as a solo or as the first song in a duet * SongSwitchingX100 = song-type switching / total independent song × 100 of male and female  #### File: Sanchez\_et\_al\_DATA\_DUET\_RATE.xlsx **Description:** Rufous-and-white Wren duet rate Control (day0) and Treatment (day3) density manipulation experiment. Data was collected in 2022 and 2023 for 12 pairs, Sex M = 12 males, and Sex F = 12 females. Two treatments: Control (Day 0 = pre-playback experiment), Day 3 (high density of neighbors).  ##### Variables * Numduet: the total number of duets / 1 hour (duet rate).