Bryde\u2019s whale is the most frequently sighted baleen whale in Madeira and one of the most frequently sighted cetaceans overall. Its occurrence tends to peak in summer and autumn, and habitat models link it to warm waters and relatively low chlorophyll conditions (Alves et al.<\/em>, 2018<\/a>; Fernandez et al.<\/em>, 2021). Marked interannual variability in habitat suitability suggests that Madeira may be used seasonally within a broader distributional range, rather than being occupied at similar levels every year, and that occurrence may also be influenced by broader circulation patterns (Fernandez et al.<\/em>, 2021; Steiner et al.<\/em>, 2008). More recent photo-identification work shows that at least some individuals show both site fidelity to the archipelago and connectivity with the Canaries, highlighting Madeira\u2019s importance within a broader Macaronesian range (Ferreira et al.<\/em>, 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bryde\u2019s whales produce a diverse but predominantly low-frequency acoustic repertoire, including tonal calls, frequency-modulated calls, pulsed moans, and discrete pulse series (Oleson et al.<\/em>, 2003; Heimlich et al.<\/em>, 2005; \u0160irovi\u0107 et al.<\/em>, 2014). Many call types have dominant low-frequency components below 60\u201380 Hz, often lasting less than 3 s, including short alternating tonal phrases with tones around 29 or 37 Hz and downswept components around 25\u201316 Hz (Heimlich et al.<\/em>, 2005). Other call types occupy a somewhat higher band, particularly the Be9 downswept pulsed call, which has energy roughly in the 80\u2013140 Hz range and lasts less than 1 s per unit, while other described calls include signals near 44 Hz with 2\u20134 harmonics (Oleson et al.<\/em>, 2003; \u0160irovi\u0107 et al.<\/em>, 2014). Even higher frequency signals have been reported from a captive juvenile, including a growl-like pulsed moan at ~200\u2013900 Hz and short pulse sequences with most energy between 400 and 610 Hz, showing that the broader reported repertoire can extend to nearly 950 Hz (Edds et al.<\/em>, 1993; \u0160irovi\u0107 et al.<\/em>, 2014). Unlike the long, highly stereotyped songs of blue or fin whales, Bryde\u2019s whale sounds are generally produced as short discrete calls, short repeated series, rather than extended song bouts (Oleson et al.<\/em>, 2003; Heimlich et al.<\/em>, 2005).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bryde\u2019s whale(Balaenoptera edeni) Bryde\u2019s whale is the most frequently sighted baleen whale in Madeira and one of the most frequently sighted cetaceans overall. Its occurrence tends to peak in summer and autumn, and habitat models link it to warm waters … Continue reading