Previously, scientists had suspected that birds learned the song of their species by hearing it as babies. This would suggest that the young birds have an ability to hear and distinguish their song from the songs of other species. However, a recent study by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden suggests that a species’ ability to distinguish its specific song is based in genetics. The scientists used two species of flycatcher birds. In the first experiment, they played young birds recordings of several types of bird song, but the young birds responded most to the song of their species despite being as young as ten days old, showing that the birds determine their species’ song early. In the second experiment, the scientists switched the eggs of the two species of birds so that they were raised never having heard their own song, but these birds still “discriminated in favor of their own species’ songs”. From this data, the scientists determined that birds do not learn their songs as a result of their “early learning.” In the third experiment, the scientists mated parent birds of each species to produce hybrid offspring, which favored one species’ song over the other, suggesting that song-learning is genetic - that species’ song is likely the dominant trait. The scientists say that the studies with songbirds could serve as a basis for future studies on early human language learning, which has similarities to bird song learning.
For me, this article brought up an interesting point about what different traits can be inherited and which need to be learned. Birds’ songs being hereditary makes sense so that they would be sure to learn the right song of their species instead of the song of a different species. If the birds learned the wrong song, they might have trouble mating since bird song is often used to attract a mate, and if birds cannot mate, they cannot produce offspring, which would make them go extinct quickly. It is also interesting that there are likely parallels between birds learning song and humans learning language, and I would be interested to see how that plays out in future studies.
Citation:
Uppsala Universitet. June 12, 2017. Genetic differences across species guide vocal learning in juvenile songbirds. Science Daily. Retrieved June 14, 2017 from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170612115552.htm
I have always wondered if birds learned their songs from the mother bird and I find it interesting that research is showing otherwise. I also wonder if different types of songbirds would trade songs so to speak if they were to grow up together. I mean what would happen if two or three different song birds were to grow up together in the same nest? Would they still sing the song of their species, or would they learn each other's songs? I don't know, but it would be interesting to find out.
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