Ornithology Queens College BIOL 386/723 ~ 3 credits

Spring 2016 ~ Thursdays 9 – 3:30

Dr. David C. Lahti david.lahti@qc.cuny.edu

Lecture 7: Vocal Communication

SONG

Female choice: locality

Male competition and territoriality

Pitch

Pitch

Rapid Modulation

Rapid Modulation

Rapid Modulation Do birds have vocal registers?

Polyphony

Individual recognition

Duets

Repertoires

Dawn chorus

Blackbird > Robin > Wren > Tawny Owl > Chaffinch > Pheasant > Warblers > Song Thrush > Greenfinch > Dunnock > Goldfinch

Song learning

Neurobiology of song learning

Song learning

“Nurture” Imitation

? “Nature”

“Nurture”

Young males might:

1. learn less well or not at all

2. learn exactly what they hear

3. improve upon what they hear

What happens if we train males on slow

(unattractive) songs?

0.5 s

Slow trill rate training song

kHz

Model:

Copy:

Natural:

Inheritance & learning in

bird song development

Song =

Imitation =

Biases = Nature/Innate

Nurture/Learned

Behavior

1 RR ZRZR 0%B

2 BR-RZRZR 25%B

3 RB-RZBZR 25%B

4 BR ZBZR 50%B

4 RB ZRZB 50%B

5 BR-B ZRZB 75%B

6 RB-B ZBZB 75%B

7 BB ZBZB 100%B

Song traditions

Geographic Variation & Dialects

Cultural evolution

Macroevolution of bird song