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Song development in birds: the role of early experience and its potential effect on rehabilitation success

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

KA Spencer ,
S Harris ,
PJ Baker  and
IC Cuthill
KA Spencer*
Affiliation:
Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland
S Harris
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UG, UK
PJ Baker
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UG, UK
IC Cuthill
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UG, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence and request for reprints: k.spencer@bio.gla.ac.uk
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Abstract

Environmental conditions during the early life stages of birds can have significant effects on the quality of sexual signals in adulthood, especially song, and these ultimately have consequences for breeding success and fitness. This has wide-ranging implications for the rehabilitation protocols undertaken in wildlife hospitals which aim to return captive-reared animals to their natural habitat. Here we review the current literature on bird song development and learning in order to determine the potential impact that the rearing of juvenile songbirds in captivity can have on rehabilitation success. We quantify the effects of reduced learning on song structure and relate this to the possible effects on an individual's ability to defend a territory or attract a mate. We show the importance of providing a conspecific auditory model for birds to learn from in the early stages post-fledging, either via live- or tape-tutoring and provide suggestions for tutoring regimes. We also highlight the historical focus on learning in a few model species that has left an information gap in our knowledge for most species reared at wildlife hospitals.

Keywords

animal welfarefitnessrehabilitationsongbirdssong developmenttutoring
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 16 , Issue 1 , February 2007 , pp. 1 - 13
Copyright
© 2007 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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