This study investigated the acoustic variation of songbirds’ vocalization during mobbing event in the sub-alpine forests using playback experiment and automatic acoustic recording (AAR). We played Glaucidium brodiei vocalization and Phylloscopus trochiloides alarm call to induce songbirds’ mobbing behavior and recorded their response vocalizations using automatic acoustic recorders in the Abies-Picea dark coniferous forest in Wanglang National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, during the summer of 2021. Altogether 24 experiments were performed on 12 experiment sites, with a total length of 1057 min acoustic recordings, including 12 G. brodiei vocalization experiments, and 12 P. trochiloides alarm call experiments. A total of 28 species of birds belonging to 17 families and 3 orders were observed to participate in mobbing behavior. By analyzing the acoustic indexes of recordings, it was concluded that 1) both G. brodiei vocalization and P. trochiloides alarm call could trigger mobbing event, during which Phylloscopidae and Paridae species were the majority being involved; 2) during playback period, songbirds’ vocalizations are more intense (G. brodiei experiments: SPL_avg=−31.02±4.87 dB vs −42.74±4.68 dB, p = 0.001; P. trochiloides experiments: SPL_avg = −33.26±4.05 dB vs −46.38±4.54 dB, p = 0.001) and less complicated (G. brodiei experiments: H = 0.76±0.02 vs 0.80±0.03, p = 0.001; P. trochiloides experiments: H = 0.77±0.02 vs 0.82±0.02, p = 0.001) than that of pre-playback period; 3) the variability of acoustic indices from pre-playback to during-playback didn’t change significantly between G. brodiei experiments and P. trochiloides experiments. The results provide a new insight into avian behavior studies in the acoustic aspect, and novel behavioral application scenarios for large-scale soundscape monitoring data. 

利用鸣声播放实验, 并结合自动录音技术, 综合使用多种声学指数, 探究亚高山森林生态系统中, 森林鸣禽在围攻事件中鸣声的声学特征及其变化规律。2021年夏季, 在四川王朗国家级自然保护区冷云杉暗针叶林中分别播放领鸺鹠(Glaucidium brodiei)鸣声和暗绿柳莺(Phylloscopus trochiloides)报警鸣叫来引发鸣禽围攻, 使用自动录音设备记录播放期间及播放前后在实验位点上自由活动的森林鸣禽的鸣声。设置12个位点, 每个位点进行领鸺鹠和暗绿柳莺播放实验各一次。24次实验共记录到分属3目17科的28种鸟类参与围攻行为, 实验录音总有效时长为1057分钟。对围攻行为的观察和对录音记录的声学指数分析结果表明: 1) 领鸺鹠鸣声和柳莺报警鸣叫都可以有效地引发鸣禽的围攻行为, 柳莺类与山雀类鸣禽是参与围攻的主体; 2) 两种鸣声播放期间, 森林鸣禽的鸣声声强均显著高于播放前(领鸺鹠鸣声实验SPL_avg = −31.02±4.87 dB (播放期间), SPL_avg = −42.74±4.68 dB (播放前空白段), p = 0.001; 暗绿柳莺报警鸣叫回放实验SPL_avg = −33.26±4.05 dB (播放期间), SPL_avg = −46.38±4.54 dB (播放前空白段), p = 0.001), 鸣声复杂度均显著低于播放前(领鸺鹠鸣声实验H = 0.76±0.02 (播放期间), H = 0.80±0.03 (播放前空白段), p = 0.001; 暗绿柳莺报警鸣叫回放实验H = 0.77±0.02 (播放期间), H = 0.82±0.02 (播放前空白段), p = 0.001); 3) 播放领鸺鹠鸣声或暗绿柳莺报警鸣叫并未引发声学指数变化程度的显著不同。研究结果从声学层面为鸟类行为研究提供新的思路, 同时为大范围的声景监测数据提供新的行为学应用场景。