Early acquisition of song in the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata

• Published in: Animal behaviour Vol. 39; no. 2; pp. 369 - 374
• Main Author: Bohner, Jorg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kent Elsevier Ltd 01.02.1990; Elsevier; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Ltd
• Subjects: Animal communication; Animal ethology; Aves; Biological and medical sciences; Birds; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Vertebrata; Acoustic communication; Animal communication; Young animal; Learning; Vertebrata; Song; Acoustic spectrometry; Acquisition process; Early experience; Taeniopygia guttata; Imitation; Sonagraph; Behavior; Critical period; Aves

Young zebra finch males were tested for their ability to acquire species-specific song before reaching independence. Song copies developed by males kept with their fathers up to 35 days posthatching were as complete as those of males that remained in contact with their fathers until day 100, when so...