Classification of anomalous diffusion in animal movement data using power spectral analysis

The field of movement ecology has seen a rapid increase in high-resolution data in recent years, leading to the development of numerous statistical and numerical methods to analyse relocation trajectories. Data are often collected at the level of the individual and for long periods that may encompass a range of behaviours. Here, we use the power spectral density (PSD) to characterise the random movement patterns of a black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus) and a white stork (Ciconia ciconia). The tracks are first segmented and clustered into different behaviours (movement modes), and for each mode we measure the PSD and the ageing properties of the process. For the foraging kite we find 1/f noise, previously reported in ecological systems mainly in the context of population dynamics, but not for movement data. We further suggest plausible models for each of the behavioural modes by comparing both the measured PSD exponents and the distribution of the single-trajectory PSD to known theoretical results and simulations.

Automated summary

The field of movement ecology has developed various statistical and numerical methods to analyze relocation trajectories based on high-resolution data. In this study, the power spectral density (PSD) is used to characterize the random movement patterns of a black-winged kite and a white stork. Plausible models are suggested for each behavioral mode by comparing measured PSD exponents and distribution of single-trajectory PSD with theoretical results and simulations.