Researchers have developed a new algorithm capable of identifying features of male zebra finch songs that may underlie the distinction between a short phrase sung during courtship, and the same phrase sung in a non-courtship context.
Sarah Woolley of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Computational Biology.
Like many animals, male zebra finches adjust their vocal signals for their audience. They may sing the same sequence of syllables during courtship interactions with females as when singing alone, but with subtle modifications. However, humans cannot detect these differences, and it was not clear that female zebra finches could, either. [Read more…] about Novel algorithm reveals birdsong features that may be key for courtship