Complexity of a male bird’s song can help attract the most compatible mate, new research suggests. Researchers investigated whether song repertoire and complexity advertises the singer’s genetic dissimilarity to others in the population — something that could help a couple raise the most viable young. A male bird’s health influences how well it can learn […]
Tag: birdsong
A Hermit Thrush’s song offers a note on its origin 
Sing me a song and I’ll tell you where you come from—at least, that seems to be the case with Hermit Thrushes, according to a recent study. Researchers analyzed spectograms of Hermit Thrush songs, which revealed significant differences in song structures of three major populations—Northern, Western Mountain and Western Lowland thrushes. And it sounds like […]
Zebra finches’ courtship serenade preferences shaped by developmental exposure
During courtship, male zebra finches perform a longer and faster version of their usual songs in order to attract females—who, in turn, prefer the modified song during their search for a mate. Researchers investigated whether that preference in female zebra finches relied on being exposed to male birds’ songs early in life. It turns out that […]
