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. 2026 Jun 17;14:e21421. doi: 10.7717/peerj.21421

Table 2. Behavioural ethogram used for coding.

Behavior Code Description of behavior Modifiers
Playback begins 0 Audio playback begins N/A
Head movement 1 Subject’s head moves from original position, either laterally (left to right, swaying) or vertically (up and down, bobbing)
  • Towards Speaker: Subject’s head turns to directly face the speaker, based on the location of the speaker.

  • Back: Subject’s head turns to face behind their original position

  • Left: Subject’s head turns to face the left (would be your left)

  • Right: Subject’s head turns to face the right (would be your right)

  • Up: Subject’s head turns to look up, towards the sky/roof of enclosure

  • Down: Subject’s head turns to look down, towards the ground

Flapping 3 The bird is flapping its wings while remaining on its current perch. N/A
Locomotion 4 Subject actively moves within enclosure, by flying, moving around on their perch
  • Moving Perch: The bird moves from one perch to another in a controlled manner; the bird may turn and look at the new perch before moving to it. Movement can be done by walking, hopping, or flying.

  • Flying out of frame: The bird flies off of the perch out of frame, and returns to the same spot afterwards

  • Towards Speaker: Subject moves towards the speaker

  • Back: Subject moves away from the camera

  • Right: Subject Moves to the right (would be your right)

  • Left: Subject moves to the left (would be your left)

  • Stop: Subject has stopped moving, ends the locomotion behavior

Vocalization 5 Subject makes an audible, vocalization, e.g., hoot, screech N/A
Background noise 6 Audible noise coming from the habitat’s surroundings that is NOT the human voice you will hear over the speaker and does not come from the owl itself, e.g., other human voices, equipment like lawn mowers, car noises. N/A
Social behaviors 7 Grooming (preening)—The bird is running its beak along and/or lightly biting its feathers or the feathers of another bird.
  • Self-Grooming: The bird is running its beak along and/or lightly biting its OWN feathers.

  • Grooming Partner: The bird is running its beak along and/or lightly biting the feathers of another bird.

  • Pecking: The bird is using its beak to strike or bite another bird.

Distance from another owl
  • In contact with the other bird: Less than 3″ from each other.

  • Not in contact with the other bird: Within 6″ from each other.