Zebra finch mates use their forebrain song system in unlearned call communication.

ABSTRACT: Unlearned calls are produced by all birds whereas learned songs are only found in three avian taxa, most notably in songbirds. The neural basis for song learning and production is formed by interconnected song nuclei: the song control system. In addition to song, zebra finches produce large numbers of soft, unlearned calls, among which "stack" calls are uttered frequently. To determine unequivocally the calls produced by each member of a group, we mounted miniature wireless microphones on each zebra finch. We find that group living paired males and females communicate using bilateral stack calling. To investigate the role of the song control system in call-based male female communication, we recorded the electrical activity in a premotor nucleus of the song control system in freely behavin

SUBMITTER: Ter Maat A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4196903 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature