Number of syllables in cuckoo Cuculus canorus calls: A test using a citizen science project

Recent studies revealed that the call of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus has more inter-individual than intra-individual variation and that the number of syllables depends on environmental conditions, but also the presence of male and female conspecifics. However, still very little is known about how song varies at a global scale, especially considering the wide distribution of this species across most of Europe and Asia. Xeno-canto.org is a vocalization repository for birdsong. We used xeno-canto.org as a data source for investigating the variables that affect the number of syllables in cuckoo calls at a large spatial scale. At a very broad geographical scale, the number of syllables in cuckoo calls predicted bird species richness. Additionally, female calls were associated with shorter males calls, and there was a positive correlation between the interaction between female calls and the number of host races parasitized by the cuckoo. These findings confirm that intraspecific and interspecific interactions significantly affect the number of syllables in cuckoo calls, and both environmental variables and biotic interactions should be considered in future studies of vocalizations in cuckoos. Last but not least, we demonstrated that a citizen science project is a useful source for ecological studies at large spatial scales.