Gamova T.V., Surmach S.G.
Amurian zoological journal 2023; 15(3): 606-622
Acoustic repertoire of bitterns Ixobrychus has not been sufficiently studied, and descriptions of their calls, with rare exceptions, are given only verbally. We recorded and analyzed 438 sonograms of calls of the Amur, Chinese, little bitterns and hybrids. In contrast to the advertising call, most types of calls in these species turned out to be similar in sound, structure, and time-frequency parameters. The most species-specific are the mating call, the alarm calls of females (“cawing” and “crowing”), the distress call of males, and the “beep” of nestlings.
