Abstract
Avian vocalization during the total solar eclipse on 22 July 2009 was studied on Nakano-shima Is. in the Tokara Islands. Avian songs and calls were recorded using a digital voice recorder at three locations during the 6 min of totality and 1 hr each before and after the event. Vocalizations on the day before and after the solar eclipse were also recorded as controls (at two locations), and the numbers of songs or calls within each minute of the totality were counted for all recordings. A total of 17 species were recorded during the study period. The frequency of calls or songs averaged 16.4 per minute on ordinary days with a great difference between the days or locations and there was no silent period longer than two minutes. During the dark period, however, no diurnal birds sang or called in the study sites for 7 min 49 s on average. The Ryukyu Scops Owl Otus elegans was the only species recorded during the totality. The songs or calls of the Ruddy Kingfisher Halcyon coromanda and Ryukyu Robin Erithacus komadori increased shortly after the totality as at sunrise. However, the species turnover of songs that occurred in a dawn chorus was not detected during the totality. It suggests that the duration of the total eclipse was too short for birds to behave as they do during crepuscular periods.
