Honors Thesis Final Version

Sounds are one of the most common means of communication and are essential to several species ’ survival and reproduction. The efficiency of acoustic signal transmission, and the ability of receivers to detect that signal, can be affected by ambient noise, such as that produced by human activities. Recent studies have suggested that animals alter the frequencies of their acoustic signals to minimize interference produced by anthropogenic noise. These changes could be a short-term adaptation to noise levels (behavioural) or a long-term adaptation in populations due to average anthropogenic noise levels (genetic change, phenotypic plasticity). A species’ ability to adapt to anthropogenic noise may be a key factor in its success. It is therefore important to evaluate different species responses to noise for effective management. In this study I evaluated the effects of noise on Red-Winged Blackbird communication by assessing various parameters of their song when exposed and unexposed to noise in the vicinity of the Queen’s University Biological Station, Ontario, Canada. First, I compared the songs of Red-Winged Blackbirds located in quiet marshes and along the roadside, during quiet periods. This allowed me to test if the songs in the two areas differed in the absence of anthropogenic noise, whic