Early-life lessons of the courtship dance in a dance-duetting songbird, the Java sparrow.

ABSTRACT: Vocal learners, such as songbirds, must practise singing in a developmentally sensitive period to master songs. Yet, knowledge remains limited about the development of visual displays in birds, even when courtship includes well-coordinated vocalizations (songs) and body motions. The Java sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora) is a species of songbird that exhibits a courtship duet dancing exchange between the sexes, with this behaviour driving mating success. In this study, juvenile male Java sparrows were observed in captivity, showing that they repeatedly practise the courtship dance in their early life. We called it 'practice', as juvenile birds frequently dance towards family members or other juveniles well before sexual maturation. Based on our observation that dance motor performance in

SUBMITTER: Soma M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6599803 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature