It has been demonstrated in several species that adult and juvenile birds of both sexes can discriminate songs of different categories or acoustic and temporal features ( Searcy and Yasukawa, 1996 Riebel, 2009 Rodríguez-Saltos, 2017). Although relatively less attention has been paid to song receivers compared to signalers, investigation into the mechanisms of song perception and recognition should also be an important focus as we seek to attain a deeper understanding of vocal behavior. As a result, neural mechanisms of song learning and production in males have been more intensively studied than those of song perception and recognition in either sex ( Hernandez et al., 2008 Riebel, 2009).īirdsong, like human speech, is used to convey information. Partly due to these shared features with human speech, neuroethology of birdsong has primarily focused on the signalers. Now, growing evidence shows that the process of song development in songbirds is quite similar to that of speech acquisition in humans, and these similarities are evident at behavioral, neural, and genetic levels ( Doupe and Kuhl, 1999 Bolhuis et al., 2010 Prather et al., 2017). Since the finding of learned aspects of vocal behavior such as song dialects and cultural transmission ( Marler and Tamura, 1964), great effort has been devoted to elucidating the mechanisms of song learning in males ( Brainard and Doupe, 2002 Bolhuis and Gahr, 2006 Mooney, 2009 Ikeda et al., 2020). Because of historical and geographical biases, function of birdsong is particularly well studied in species where only males sing to repel male rivals or to attract female mates, although song is not a male-specific trait in a substantial number of species ( Odom et al., 2014 Riebel, 2016). A large body of field and laboratory work in songbirds (order Passeriformes, suborder Passeri) has revealed that songs are typically used for courtship and territorial defense ( Catchpole and Slater, 2008). We also discuss problems and remaining questions in this field and suggest some possible solutions and future directions.īirdsong has been extensively studied in multiple disciplines that address animal behavior. Here we summarize the current understanding of song preference in female and juvenile songbirds in the context of Tinbergen’s four questions, incorporating results ranging from ethological field research to the latest neuroscience findings. ![]() In addition, consideration of ultimate questions can also be important for laboratory researchers in designing experiments and interpreting results. To pursue this line of research, however, it is necessary to understand current methodological challenges in defining and measuring song preference. Understanding the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying the formation, maintenance, expression, and alteration of such song preference in birds will potentially give insight into the mechanisms of speech communication in humans. Moreover, there are other studies of song preference in juvenile birds which suggest possible functions of preference in social context including the sensory phase of song learning. Although relatively less attention has been paid to song receivers compared to signalers, recent studies on female songbirds have begun to reveal the neural basis of song preference. The mechanisms of song perception and recognition should also be investigated to attain a deeper understanding of the nature of complex vocal signals. However, birdsong, like human speech, primarily functions as communication signals. ![]() Neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying song acquisition and production in male songbirds are particularly well studied, mainly because birdsong shares some important features with human speech such as critical dependence on vocal learning.
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