Why does the caged bird sing… karaoke?!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science saying…
To remember their feathers! I mean fathers!
Enter Carlos Rodríguez‑Saltos from the University of Southern California. He studied how captive male zebra finches learn to sing.
Turns out, male juveniles usually learn to sing from their papas. But what if dad’s not in the picture?
The researchers taught juveniles with… a birdy jukebox. They had two choices. One button would play their father’s song, the other button, a different bird’s.
And? When finches listened to their dads’ songs, they better developed their singing skills! Baby birds aren’t just copycats — they’re choosy listeners!
So…even in the birdie world, musical taste shapes destiny!
Reference: Chen, Y., Meliza, C. D., & Wang, J. (2023). Song preferences predict the quality of vocal learning in zebra finches. Scientific Reports, 13, 27708. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27708-y