Vocalizations of the Blue-Fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) in the Chancaní Reserve, Córdoba, Argentina. The Wilson Bulletin 110 (3): 352-361

FERNANDEZ JURICIC, E.; MARTELLA, M.B.; ALVAREZ, E.

WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY

WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOC

Año: 1998 p. 352 - 361

1559-4491

calls of the Blue-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) are described and their possible function within the social organization of the species during breeding and non-breeding seasons are discussed. We identified 9 vocalizations; six (?wak-wak?, ?wa-wawawa?, transitions, ?gu-gugu?, guturals, ?ka-kaka?) were nonspecific and were given in several circumstances: alarm, contact, feeding, and flying. The remaining had specific contexts: ?waahh? (agonistic), ?grr-uip? (contact in flight), and songs (reproduction-territorial). Vocalization rates increased in alarm contexts and during the non-breeding season, probably as a result of increasing interactions between individuals. The frequency containing the greatest amount of energy was a useful variable to characterize Blue-fronted Amazon calls, particularly at the species level. The most commonly used vocalization, ?wak-wak?, has structural features that promote directionality and short-range transmission, enhancing its usefulness for the aggregation of individuals. It is suggested that songs were derived from a process of repetition and increasing variability from gutural calls. The highly contextual variability of these calls may be due to an incompletely specialized repertoire or a vocal system based upon combinations of calls for conveying messages