There is extensive diversity among the 4000 species of songbirds in different aspects of
song behavior, including the timing of vocal learning, sex patterns of song production …

Twenty years ago Pepperberg set out to discover whether large-brained, highly social
parrots were capable of mastering complex cognitive concepts and the rudiments of …

Expression mapping of activity-dependent genes has been very useful to reveal brain
activation patterns associated with specific stimuli or behavioral contexts. In addition, activity …

Males of certain hummingbird species such as Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) learn
their song during postnatal development. Here we report that male Anna's hummingbirds …

Speech has long been thought of as a uniquely defining characteristic of humans. Yet song
birds, like humans, communicate using learned signals (song, speech) that are acquired …

Parrots are one of the most distinct and intriguing groups of birds, with highly expanded
brains [1], highly developed cognitive [2] and vocal communication [3] skills, and a long …

The arcopallium, a key avian forebrain region, receives inputs from numerous brain areas
and is a major source of descending sensory and motor projections. While there is evidence …

Budgerigars learn their vocalizations by reference to auditory information and they retain the
ability to learn new vocalizations throughout life. Auditory feedback of these vocalizations …

Songbirds vocalizing in helium show a change in the spectral quality of their vocalizations.
This effect is due to an increase in the speed of sound in helium that in turn alters the …

Psittacula cyanocephala is an endemic parakeet from the Indian sub-continent that is
widespread in the illegal bird trade. Previous studies on Psittacula parakeets have …