Observations of zebra finch courtship shed light on later learning

A new study of songbirds highlights the power of social interaction to facilitate learning, ideas that have potential application to human development.

Researchers at McGill University have found that zebra finches deprived of early social experiences can still form strong bonds with a mate later in life. Once placed in a cohabitation with a male, females who had never heard a mating call before can quickly develop a preference for its melody.

The results, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Scienceschallenge the belief that early experiences alone are essential for learning musical preferences.

“Young humans become accustomed to the language they hear most, making it difficult to learn a new language as adults because some sounds are hard to distinguish. Similarly, female zebra finches need to hear their own species’ songs when they are young to perceive them correctly. However, our study shows that social interactions later in life can help compensate for this missed experience,” said lead author Sarah Woolley, associate professor in the Department of Biology.

Aerial view of zebra finch courtship

Zebra finches are small Australian songbirds that often pair for life. Males sing melodies to attract a mate, while females learn their favorite melodies by listening to adults.

As part of their experiments, the McGill researchers filmed this courtship ritual. They divided the zebra finches into groups: birds raised by their mothers without being exposed to the song, and birds raised by both parents. Each group was then either paired with a male or housed with a female and only the males sang nearby.

To test song preference, female finches were given the opportunity to pull strings that triggered different songs coming from a loudspeaker; it was found that the more a female pulled on a certain string, the stronger her affection for that melody.

Interestingly, females only developed an affinity for their partner’s song when they lived together. In contrast, females who only heard males did not form such bonds. This suggests that quality time is crucial for forming strong bonds, the researchers said.

Direct social interaction is essential

“Think of it as the difference between people talking on the phone and people spending quality time together. Direct social interaction allows zebra finches to form deeper bonds with their companions,” said lead author Erin Wall, a PhD in the Integrated Neuroscience Program.

“Females who never see or directly interact with a male become familiar with his voice, but they don’t develop a preference for him. They only know his song in the context of him courting someone else,” Wall said.

Zebra finches are often studied because they are highly social creatures with complex communication behaviors, making them ideal for research into social interaction and learning. The team’s future research will use brain scans to study neural changes associated with pair bonding.

In an increasingly connected world, the researchers say these findings could open new avenues of research into the role of face-to-face interaction in learning and social bonding.