Thanks to repetition, dustbathing detection can be automated combining accelerometry and wavelet analysis.

FONSECA, R. G. ; BOSCH, M. C.; SPANEVELLO, F. C.; DE LA FUENTE, M. V.; MARIN, R. H.; BARBERIS, L.; KEMBRO, J. M.; FLESIA, A. G.

ETHOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2024

0179-1613

Birds from at least adozen orders engage in dustbathing, including Galliformes. Dustbathing isgenerally considered a behavioural need for poultry. It involves a precise andorderly sequence of movements repeated over time. The most characteristicmovement involves tossing the dust with the wings and undulating the body beneaththe dust shower. Thus, repetitive changes in body position during dustbathing couldbe automatically detected through data processing of body-mounted accelerometerrecordings. The approach was tested in 13 adult male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) fitted with a body mounted triaxial accelerometer. Behaviour was video recorded for at least 6 hours.Observationsshowed that when the animal lies on its left- or right-side during dustbathing,the lateral (swaying) component of the acceleration vector adopts values of +1 or-1, respectively. Analysis shows that the bird repeats these shifts in bodyposition every 25 to 60 seconds. The wavelet analysis (i.e complex Morletcontinuous wavelet transform) detected this oscillatory behaviour within thetime series as higher power values. This characteristic was used to automatethe detection of dustbathing events, for which a threshold value for themaximum power value estimated was established for the corresponding range ofscales between 25-60s. The overall general accuracy ofthis classification method for dustbathing detection was 80%, with individualvariations falling within the range of 66-100%. Lastly, an example of the potentialof this method in the study of temporal dynamics, such as daily rhythms ofdustbathing, is provided. Our results show that combining accelerometry andwavelet analysis could be useful for the assessment of intra- andinter-individual variability in dustbathing dynamics over long-term studies,even within large complex environments, such as natural habitats or breedingfacilities. Moreover, this approach could open doors for future in-depthstudies exploring the relationship between dustbathing and poultry welfare.