THE STUDY OF BIRD VOCALIZATIONS IN NEOTROPICAL HABITATS: CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND FUTURE STEPS

Research on avian bioacoustics in the Neotropics has surged over the last several decades due to increased interest in the large diversity of vocal behaviors and vocalization and the broader accessibility of recording equipment and software. Here, we present a synthesis of the current and past knowledge of Neotropical bird bioacoustics. This synthesis is the result of the symposium "Bioacoustics in the Neotropics", organized for the XI Neotropical Ornithological Congress in San Jose, Costa Rica, in July 2019. We covered what we consider the main topics in avian bioacoustics that have been studied in this region over the last 30 years. Our review includes repertoire descriptions, geographic variation, diversity in vocal behaviors, seasonality, duetting, genetic association, and playback experiments. Additionally, we present information for what we believe may be the main veins of investigation for the coming future in the Neotropics, considering the large diversity of species that are found in the region and the new investigations developed in other geographic areas. We expect this review to work as a summary of the current literature and a guide to stimulate future research in important areas within the field of avian bioacoustics in the Neotropics.