Symphony of Survival: Bioacoustics Insights from Eastern Himalayan Mixed-Species Bird Flocks - with Satyam Gupta

​IEN Research Spotlights are community events hosted by the India Ecoacoustics Network (IEN), where we highlight works of researchers who employ acoustics to explore and understand their environments. These sessions are free and open to join for anyone with an interest in ecoacoustics and environmental research.

We invite you to the 16th IEN Research Spotlight featuring Satyam Gupta.

If you've ever walked through a forest and wondered why it sounds like a chaotic symphony, you have most probably been listening to a mixed-species bird flock (MSF). But how do these flocks form and stay together, and what can their sounds tell us about this fascinating phenomenon? 

​Bridging the gap between these questions is Satyam Gupta, a behavioural ecologist and bioacoustician, who has been studying the remarkable sounds of birds, bats, and now frogs as part of his doctoral research at Ashoka University. A DST-INSPIRE Awardee, he now employs social network analysis and bioacoustics to reveal how sound structures the intriguing social dynamics of MSF in the Eastern Himalayas.

​Mixed-species bird flocks are among the most dynamic examples of interspecific sociality in nature. In this talk, he will explore how vocal characteristics of these flocking birds shape flock formation and coordination in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh. Drawing on bioacoustic and sociality data to understand flock-level differences and implications for conservation actions and how communication may structure community-level interactions. 

Join us to hear more about Satyam's exciting work on MSF. To secure the Zoom link, and any resources, kindly RSVP via this Luma page.