Stefanie LaZerte (PhD NRES)

Vocal adjustment by chickadees in urban habitats

This project is looking at how black-capped and mountain chickadee communication is affected by urbanization. Generally, songs have evolved to transmit well through the local environment. However, urbanization alters acoustic properties of the habitat, and although studies have found that some birds can adjust their songs to compensate for these changes, we know little about how and which species are able to adapt. By investigating these two species, this project will help identify characteristics of species vulnerable to urbanization and can provide information on how to improve urban environments to minimize communication breakdown.