Abstract

ORTIZ, Fátima et al. Vocal Activity of Urutaú (Nyctibius griseus) relative to lunar illumination in Villa Franca, Paraguay. Rep. cient. FACEN [online]. 2026, vol.17, e202601.  Epub Jan 30, 2026. ISSN 2222-145X.  https://doi.org/10.18004/rcfacen.2026.17.e202601.

This study examines the vocal activity of Nyctibius griseus in relation to lunar illumination in the wetlands of Villa Franca, Ñeembucú, Paraguay. Passive Acoustic Monitoring was conducted over one year (February 2022-January 2023), resulting in the processing of 81,630 recordings, equivalent to 6,802 hours of audio, using the platform Arbimon. The results revealed a marked increase in vocal activity during periods of high lunar illumination, with 47.8% of detections occurring under full moon conditions. Vocal activity was most intense between 00:00 and 05:00 hours, with pronounced peaks in October and January, likely associated with reproductive behavior. Forest habitats exhibited higher vocal activity than palm savannas, underscoring their ecological importance for the species. Overall, these findings demonstrate the influence of environmental factors on acoustic communication and highlight the urgent need to conserve wetland ecosystems, which play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity and shaping nocturnal soundscape dynamics.

Keywords : Bioacoustics; Lunar illumination; Bird conservation; Nyctibiidae.

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