A study by the University of California, Berkeley has found that zebra finches can memorise the individual sounds of at least 50 different members of their flock.
The songbirds can pick a peer’s distinct song out of the crowd, and are able to remember each other’s unique vocalisations for months and maybe longer.
“The amazing auditory memory of zebra finches shows that birds’ brains are highly adapted for sophisticated social communication,” said study lead author Frederic Theunissen, a UC Berkeley professor of psychology, integrative biology and neuroscience.
Theunissen says the study shows zebra finches have “clearly mastered” the complex mapping skills required to recognise the source and meaning of a cohort member’s call.
Did you know —
Zebra finches have a near-human capacity for language mapping. They can memorize the signature sounds of at least 50 different members of their flock, and remember each other’s unique vocalizations for months! #BerkeleyResearch 🐦 🎶 👂 https://t.co/vjgps9DZuh— UC Berkeley (@UCBerkeley) November 20, 2020
The study involved a two-part experiment in which 20 captive zebra finches were trained to distinguish between different birds and their vocalisations.
“I am really impressed by the spectacular memory abilities that zebra finches possess in order to interpret communication calls,” Theunissen said.
“Previous research shows that songbirds are capable of using simple syntax to generate complex meanings and that, in many bird species, a song is learned by imitation. It is now clear that the songbird brain is wired for vocal communication.”
