Altered nocturnal vocal activity patterns in Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) at a site with artificial lighting

Authors

  • David Ramírez-Adame Maestría en Biología Integrativa de la Biodiversidad y la Conservación, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62209, México. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9894-0724
  • Claudia Cristina Valenzuela-Inzunza Maestría en Biología Integrativa de la Biodiversidad y la Conservación, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62209, México.
  • Rosa Gabriela Beltrán-López Laboratorio de Ictiología, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62209, México. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8955-7603
  • Eduardo Michael Acosta-Morán Grupo de Investigación de Mamíferos Marinos A. C., Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México. https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2956-1002
  • José Antonio Guerrero Laboratorio de Monitoreo y Conservación de Fauna, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62209, México. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6282-9058

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9740.18.4.28607-28614

Keywords:

ALAN, behaviour, insectivorous birds, islands, light pollution, nocturnal foraging, vocalization

Abstract

Artificial lighting at night (ALAN) modifies the vocal activity patterns of numerous birds. In this study, we evaluated the impact of ALAN on the vocal activity patterns of the Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus on María Madre Island, located in the state of Nayarit, Mexico. Vocalizations were recorded using autonomous Song Meter Micro recorders at one site with ALAN and another without. We analyzed sound spectrograms to quantify vocalizations and performed behavioural observations. Our results showed differences in vocal activity between the ALAN site and the non-illuminated site. The ALAN site had higher total vocal activity, producing 3,947 vocalizations with at least one vocalization in every recording, compared to 228 distributed across 40% of the recordings at the non-ALAN site. Tropical Kingbirds at the ALAN site also had a substantially longer and earlier-shifted period of pre-dawn vocalization activity, from 0200 h to 0500 h, compared to a very brief period around 0500 h at the site without ALAN, as well as vocalizations throughout the night compared to a brief peak around twilight with no nocturnal vocalizations. Finally, we observed that individuals at the ALAN site continued to forage into the night, displaying increased agonistic interactions such as chases, wing-fluttering, and physical confrontations. Our results suggest that artificial light significantly alters the activity pattern of the Tropical Kingbird, extending its vocal and foraging activity. Our study could contribute to understanding the effects of light pollution on insectivorous birds in island environments and shows the importance of reducing the impacts of artificial light in natural habitats. 

References

Amadi, N., L. Luiselli, R. Belema, G.A. Nyiwale, C. Wala, N. Urubia & R. Meek (2021). From diurnal to nocturnal activity: a case study of night-light niche expansion in Agama agama lizards. Ethology Ecology & Evolution 33(5): 515–527. https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.1883120

Arendt, J. (1998). Melatonin and the pineal gland: influence on mammalian seasonal and circadian physiology. Reviews of Reproduction 3: 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1530/ror.0.0030013

Baxter‐Gilbert, J., C. Baider, F.V. Florens, O. Hawlitschek, A.V. Mohan, N.P. Mohanty, C. Wagener, K.C. Webster & J.L. Riley (2021). Nocturnal foraging and activity by diurnal lizards: Six species of day geckos (Phelsuma spp.) using the night‐light niche. Austral Ecology 46(3): 501–506. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13012

Bell-Pedersen, D., V.M. Cassone, D.J. Earnest, S.S. Golden, P.E. Hardin, T.L. Thomas & M.J. Zoran (2005). Circadian rhythms from multiple oscillators: Lessons from Diverse Organisms. Nature Review Genetics 6: 544–556. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg1633

Cassone, V.M. (2014). Avian circadian organization: a chorus of clocks. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology 35(1): 76–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.10.002

Cinzano, P. (2003). The growth of the artificial night sky brightness over North America in the period 1947–2000: a preliminary picture, pp. 39–47. In: Schwarz, H.E. (ed.). Light Pollution: The Global View. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands, 306 pp.

Cnotka, J., O. Güntürkün, G. Rehkämper, R.D. Gray & G.R. Hunt (2008). Extraordinary large brains in tool-using New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides). Neuroscience Letters 433(3): 241–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2008.01.026

CONANP (2021). Programa de Conservación y Manejo Reserva de la Biosfera Islas Marías. Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas. Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), Mexico, 294 pp.

Da Silva, A., M. Valcu & B. Kempenaers (2015). Light pollution alters the phenology of dawn and dusk singing in common European songbirds. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 370(1667): 20140126. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0126

Da Silva, A., J.M. Samplonius, E. Schlicht, M. Valcu & B. Kempenaers (2014). Artificial night lighting rather than traffic noise affects the daily timing of dawn and dusk singing in common European songbirds. Behavioral Ecology 25(5): 1037–1047. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/aru103

Dominoni, D.M. (2015). The effects of light pollution on biological rhythms of birds: an integrated, mechanistic perspective. Journal of Ornithology 156(Suppl 1): 409–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1196-3

Dominoni, D.M., M. Quetting & J. Partecke (2013). Artificial light at night advances avian reproductive physiology. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 280(1756): 20123017. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.3017

Dufour, P., F. Sayol, M.J. Steinbauer, R. Cooke & S. Faurby (2024). Niche filling predicts evolutionary trajectories in insular bird communities. Functional Ecology 38(12): 2636–2647. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14675

Fitzpatrick, J.W. (1980). Foraging behavior of Neotropical tyrant flycatchers. The Condor 82(1): 43–57. https://doi.org/10.2307/1366784

Garber, S.D. (1978). Opportunistic feeding behavior of Anolis cristatellus (Iguanidae: Reptilia) in Puerto Rico. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 81: 79–80. https://doi.org/10.2307/3627360

Gaston, K.J., J. Bennie, T.W. Davies & J. Hopkins (2013). The ecological impacts of nighttime light pollution: a mechanistic appraisal. Biological Reviews 88(4): 912–927. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12036

Gil, D. & D. Llusia (2020). The bird dawn chorus revisited, pp. 45–90. In: Aubin, T. & N. Mathevon (eds.). Coding Strategies in Vertebrate Acoustic Communication. Springer, Portugal, 325 pp.

Hölker, F., R. Moss, B. Griefahn, W. Kloas, C.C. Voigt, D. Henckel, A. Hänel, P.M. Kappeler, S. Völker, A. Schwope, S. Franke, D. Uhrandt, J. Fischer, B. Klenke, C. Wolter & K. Tockner (2010). The dark side of light: a transdisciplinary research agenda for light pollution policy. Ecology and Society 15(4): 13. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-03685-150413

Howell, S.N. & S. Webb (1995). A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, California, USA, 1008 pp.

Kempenaers, B., P. Borgström, P. Loës, E. Schlicht & M. Valcu (2010). Artificial night lighting affects dawn song, extra-pair siring success, and lay date in songbirds. Current Biology 20(19): 1735–1739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2010.08.028

Kovach, W.L. (2013). Oriana for Windows, version 4.02. Kovach Computing Services, Pentraeth, UK.

Longcore, T. & C. Rich (2004). Ecological light pollution. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2(4): 191–198. https://doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2004)002[0191:ELP]2.0.CO;2

Losos, J.B. & R.E. Ricklefs (2009). Adaptation and diversification on islands. Nature 457(7231): 830–836. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07893

Miller, M.W. (2006). Apparent effects of light pollution on singing behavior of American robins. The Condor 108(1): 130–139. https://doi.org/10.1093/condor/108.1.130

Ortiz, C. (2013). Nocturnal feeding of the Chiguanco Thrush Turdus chiguanco (Turdidae) under artificial light. The Biologist 11(2): 331–332.

Perry, G., B.W. Buchanan, R.N. Fisher, M. Salmon & S.E. Wise (2008). Effects of artificial night lighting on amphibians and reptiles in urban environments, pp. 239–258. In: Mitchell J.C., R.E. Jung-Brown & B. Bartholomew (eds.). Urban Herpetology. Society for the Study of Arnphibians and Reptiles, USA, 586 pp.

R Core Team (2024). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria. <https://www.R-project.org/>.

Raap, T., R. Pinxten & M. Eens (2015). Light pollution disrupts sleep in free-living animals. Scientific Reports 5(1): 13557. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13557

Russ, A., A. Rüger & R. Klenke (2015). Seize the night: European Blackbirds (Turdus merula) extend their foraging activity under artificial illumination. Journal of Ornithology 156: 123–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-014-1105-1

Sánchez-Mejorada, R.H. (1984). Breves notas sobre la vegetación y las cactáceas de las Islas Marías. Cactáceas y Suculentas Mexicanas 29: 8–9.

Santos, C.D., A.C. Miranda, J.P. Granadeiro, P.M. Lourenço, S. Saraiva & J.M. Palmeirim (2010). Effects of artificial illumination on the nocturnal foraging of waders. Acta Oecologica 36(2): 166–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2009.11.008

Sayol, F., P.A. Downing, A.N. Iwaniuk, J. Maspons & D. Sol (2018). Predictable evolution towards larger brains in birds colonizing oceanic islands. Nature communications 9(1): 2820. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05280-8

Scott, S.N., S.M. Clegg, S.P. Blomberg, J. Kikkawa & I.P. Owens (2003). Morphological shifts in island‐dwelling birds: the roles of generalist foraging and niche expansion. Evolution 57(9): 2147–2156. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0014-3820.2003.tb00392.x

Sick, H. & D.M. Teixeira (1981). Nocturnal activities of Brazilian hummingbirds and flycatchers at artificial illumination. The Auk 98(1): 31. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/auk/vol98/iss1/31?utm_source=digitalcommons.usf.edu%2Fauk%2Fvol98%2Fiss1%2F31&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages

Skutch, A.F. (1965). Life history notes on two tropical American kites. The Condor 67(3): 235–246. https://doi.org/10.2307/1365402

Smith, W.J. (1966). Communication and relationships in the genus Tyrannus. Publications of the Nuttall Ornithological Club 6: 1–250. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.155233

Sol, D., R.P. Duncan, T.M. Blackburn, P. Cassey & L. Lefebvre (2005). Big brains, enhanced cognition, and response of birds to novel environments. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102(15): 5460–5465. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0408145102

Spoelstra, K. & M.E. Visser (2013). The impact of artificial light on avian ecology, pp. 21–28. In: Gil, D. & H. Brumm (eds.). Avian Urban Ecology. Oxford University Press, United Kingdom, 240 pp. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199661572.003.0002

Stager, K.E. (1957). The avifauna of the Tres Marias Islands, Mexico. The Auk 74(4): 413–432. https://doi.org/10.2307/4081741

Stouffer, P.C., R.T. Chesser & A.E. Jahn (2024). Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus). In: Billerman S.M. (ed.). Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, New York, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.trokin.01.1.

Stracey, C.M., B. Wynn & S.K. Robinson (2014). Light pollution allows the northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) to feed nestlings after dark. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 126(2): 366–369. https://doi.org/10.1676/13-107.1

Ursino, C., N. Rebolo & F. Gorleri (2022). Impactos de la contaminación lumínica en las aves con especial foco en la Argentina. El Hornero 37(2): 4–4.

Wickham, H. (2016). Ggplot2: elegant graphics for data analysis. Springer, Houston, USA, 276 pp. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24277-4_12

Yang, L.K. (2024). Raven Pro: Interactive Sound Analysis Software (version 1.6.5). The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, New York, USA.

Zar, J.H. (1998). Biostatistical Analysis. Pearson, New Jersey, USA, 944 pp.

Downloads

Additional Files

Published

26-04-2026

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 4 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 David Ramírez-Adame, Claudia Cristina Valenzuela-Inzunza, Rosa Gabriela Beltrán-López, Eduardo Michael Acosta-Morán, José Antonio Guerrero

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT.  This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership.  Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.