scholarly journals Quality of song learning affects female response to male bird song

2002 ◽  
Vol 269 (1503) ◽  
pp. 1949-1954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Nowicki ◽  
William A. Searcy ◽  
Susan Peters
Keyword(s):  
Bird Song ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Female Response ◽  
Male Bird

Bird song learning in an eavesdropping context

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
pp. 929-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Beecher ◽  
John M. Burt ◽  
Adrian L. O'Loghlen ◽  
Christopher N. Templeton ◽  
S. Elizabeth Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Bird Song ◽  
Song Learning

1312 Early deafening affects PKC activity during bird song learning

1997 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. S170
Author(s):  
Hironobu Sakaguchi ◽  
Ayako Yamaguchi
Keyword(s):  
Bird Song ◽  
Song Learning

scholarly journals ‘Out of tune’: consequences of inbreeding on bird song

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1835) ◽  
pp. 20161142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raïssa A. de Boer ◽  
Marcel Eens ◽  
Wendt Müller
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Bird Song ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Male Quality ◽  
Limited Evidence ◽  
Serinus Canaria ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
First Time

The expression of bird song is expected to signal male quality to females. ‘Quality’ is determined by genetic and environmental factors, but, surprisingly, there is very limited evidence if and how genetic aspects of male quality are reflected in song. Here, we manipulated the genetic make-up of canaries ( Serinus canaria ) via inbreeding, and studied its effects upon song output, complexity, phonetics and, for the first time, song learning. To this end, we created weight-matched inbred and outbred pairs of male fledglings, which were subsequently exposed to the same tutor male during song learning. Inbreeding strongly affected syllable phonetics, but there were little or no effects on other song features. Nonetheless, females discriminated among inbred and outbred males, as they produced heavier clutches when mated with an outbred male. Our study highlights the importance of song phonetics, which has hitherto often been overlooked.

Assessing the Importance of Social Factors in Bird Song Learning: A Test Using Computer-Simulated Tutors

Ethology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 917-925 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Burt ◽  
Adrian L. O’Loghlen ◽  
Christopher N. Templeton ◽  
S. Elizabeth Campbell ◽  
Michael D. Beecher
Keyword(s):  
Social Factors ◽  
Bird Song ◽  
Song Learning

scholarly journals Song preferences predict the quality of vocal learning in zebra finches

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos A. Rodriguez-Saltos ◽  
Aditya Bhise ◽  
Prasanna Karur ◽  
Ramsha Nabihah Khan ◽  
Sumin Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Schedule ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Vocal Learning ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Social Reward ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Vocal Development ◽  
Song Preferences

In songbirds, learning to sing is a highly social process that likely involves social reward. Here, we hypothesized that the degree to which a juvenile songbird learns a song depends on the degree to which it finds that song rewarding to hear during vocal development. We tested this hypothesis by measuring song preferences in young birds during song learning and then analyzing their adult songs. Song preferences were measured in an operant key-pressing assay. Juvenile male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) had access to two keys, each of which was associated with a higher likelihood of playing the song of their father or that of another familiar adult ("neighbor"). To minimize the effects of exposure on learning, we implemented a reinforcement schedule that allowed us to detect preferences while balancing exposure to each song. On average, the juveniles significantly preferred the father's song early during song learning, before they were themselves singing. At around post-hatch day 60, their preference shifted to the neighbor's song. At the end of the song learning period, we recorded the juveniles' songs and compared them to the father's and the neighbor's song. All of the birds copied father's song. The accuracy with which the father's song was imitated was positively correlated with the peak strength of the preference for the father's song during the sensitive period. Our results show that preference for a social stimulus, in this case a vocalization, predicted social learning during development.

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