Imperceptible movements guide juvenile zebra finch song development

[Judi Lynn]

January 31, 2019

ITHACA, N.Y. - New research from Cornell University shows zebra finches engage in socially-guided vocal learning, where they learn their songs by watching their mothers' reactions to their immature songs.

Researchers found that adult females guide juveniles' song development through specific interactions, similar to how human babies learn to talk.

Using slowed-down video, researchers were able to identify tiny movements, imperceptible to the human eye, made by the female zebra finches to encourage the baby songbirds. The movements included wing gestures and "fluff ups," an arousal behavior in which the bird fluffs up its feathers.

"Over time, the female guides the baby's song toward her favorite version," co-author Samantha Carouso-Peck said. "There's nothing imitative about it."

More:
https://www.brightsurf.com/news/article/013119475216/imperceptible-movements-guide-juvenile-zebra-finch-song-development.html

[dweller]

1. nothing imitative about it ?

of course there is ...



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