Low-cost automated call box system to conduct playback experiments for wildlife research and management
Description
Acoustic cues (e.g., vocalizations or ‘calls’ in wildlife) may be effective in changing behavioral patterns in certain species. There are few published methods papers to create a device at a low cost that can automatically reproduce acoustic cues to carry on wildlife playback experiments or management. Therefore, we developed the Automated Call Box (ACB) based on an open-source Arduino-compatible microcontroller that attaches to a speaker system that costs less than the most common game caller used by researchers. The unit can be used to test the social information influence on habitat choices and other management applications. We field-tested the ACB successfully to assess the effect of conspecific cues on the habitat settlement of a migratory bird and to increase detectability on other songbird species. Data on this repository describes the materials used to build this system, and the code to program it, which can provide an overview as a reference for further research. This ACB allows researchers to conduct experiments on wildlife in inclement weather and complex environments, even in remote locations, with minimum or no necessity for the researcher to be present to reset the equipment.
Files
Steps to reproduce
There is a lack of information about how to create an automated speaker system that can broadcast acoustic cues in the environment. We used Arduino, in conjunction with other microcontrollers to build a relatively cheap and easy-to-set automated system named ACB (automated call box). The present dataset contains the code used in a playback experiment and the schemes or illustrations of the ACB components and design. We present a list of materials for building the ACB device to play automated calls. Also, we provide instructions for the assemblage of hardware. For building the ACB system, each of these materials should be assemblage following the instructions supported by the schemes and figures. For settings, we provide a commented code with a description attached to replicate it or adapt it for other protocols.