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Résumé :
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Most woodpeckers use drumming—the rapid and repeated hitting of the beak on a hard surface—as a means of communication. While structurally similar, the drumming of different woodpecker species can exhibit variation in cadence (i.e., duration, number of beats, speed, and acceleration) providing species-specific information. This study aimed to investigate species-specific drumming patterns in Dendrocopos major (Great Spotted Woodpecker) and Picus canus (Gray-headed Woodpecker) and their responsiveness to conspecific and heterospecific drumming in South Korea. We recorded drumming from 25 D. major and 24 P. canus individuals and conducted a discriminant analysis based on drum duration and acceleration, revealing distinct drumming patterns between the species. Playback experiments were performed at 12 D. major and 14 P. canus nests to assess species-specific responses. Both species responded instantly to the drumming of their own species, but rarely responded to that of the other species, indicating species-specific communication through drumming. These findings suggest that drumming plays a key role in distinguishing between species in sympatry, contributing to both intra- and interspecific communication.
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