This study investigates the ecology and evolution of dove acoustic communication and applies the findings to reconstruct the acoustic niche of the critically endangered Paraclaravis geoffroyi. We analysed 1187 calls from 14 dove species of the southern Atlantic Forest, using acoustic parameters to perform a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) that illustrates species distributions within acoustic space. A multinomial model evaluated the uniqueness of each species’ acoustic niche. Dove species have diverse vocalisations, and the PCA analysis reveals overlap between the calls of ground-dwelling forest species, posing semantic challenges for species recognition. Using the sole available recording of Paraclaravis geoffroyi and the calls of its sister species, P. mondetoura, we simulated its acoustic niche and used it to create new sound recordings using audio editing and music notation tools. Our model achieved 88% accuracy in classifying species, and highlight that most species have distinct calls. P. geoffroyi occupies a unique acoustic space segment. This study offers insights into how environmental adaptation shapes dove acoustic communication and introduces innovative methods to recreate calls of rare or extinct species.
Acoustic communication, dove vocalisations, acoustic adaptation hypothesis, acoustic niche hypothesis