Throughout the world, multiple species of animals coordinate activities and form groups to either forage in proximity, move together or do both. Individuals derive benefits in such groupings by having enhanced foraging efficiency, and protection against predators. Mixed-species bird flocks (MSFs) are dynamic groups with fluid compositions. Consequently, effective communication becomes an imperative component in the formation and sustained cohesion of said groups. These MSFs exhibit a high degree of acoustic activity, with members employing vocal cues for various purposes, including predator avoidance, flock and resource location, eavesdropping, and manipulation of other members. Despite their significance, the acoustic aspects of MSFs have received limited attention in prior research. This study aims to address this gap by comprehensively exploring the acoustic dimensions of MSFs. Three broad objectives are:

1. Determining the role of vocalizations of different flocking species and their importance in MSF formation.
2. Investigating the mimicry behaviour of the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo within MSFs to understand its motivations and differences in mimicry inside and outside of flocks.
3. Observing how heterospecifics respond to the vocalizations of the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo to discern their motivations behind approaching a vocalizing drongo.

This study will involve literature review and fieldwork in the Western Ghats region, employing playback experiments and observational studies, and secondary data analysis to address the research questions. By unravelling information transfer dynamics between heterospecifics, the study aims to shed light on the role of acoustics in MSF formation and interactions.