Abstract
We examined the sounds made by displaying male capercaillies on a lek in the Black Forest for infrasonic components. Vocalizations did not contain infrasound, whereas flutter jumps produced substantial low-frequency sound energy, with regularly spaced frequency peaks and maximum energy below 20 Hz. This pattern was found in recordings from different distances and for all tested individuals. Nonvocal infrasound may be significant in territorial behavior or orientation of capercaillie.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Otto Wolff-Foundation for substantial financial support. The Forest Administration of Baden-Württemberg (FVA, R. Suchant) helped to arrange fieldwork in cooperation with local forest owners and hunters. U. Querner, A. Schmidt and T. Feyen assisted in technical preparations. We are especially grateful to W. Ebser who provided access to the lek and valuable help in the field.
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Lieser, M., Berthold, P. & Manley, G.A. Infrasound in the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus). J Ornithol 146, 395–398 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-005-0003-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-005-0003-y