William Feeney receives funding from Australian Geographic and the Australian National University. Species must reproduce to survive, and animals have found unique ways of achieving this. For some, ...

Male zebra finches learn their song by imitating conspecifics. To stand out in the crowd, each male develops its own unique song. Because of this individual-specific song, it was long assumed that ...

When it’s especially hot out, zebra finches sing a unique “incubation call” to their unhatched young—a song that seems to alter the chicks’ physical development after birth. Receive emails about ...

Zebra finches are socially monogamous, meaning that each bird pairs up with a single mating partner for the rest of its life. Male zebra finches prefer to form lifelong pair bonds with other males if ...

Like humans who can instantly tell which friend or relative is calling by the timbre of the person's voice, zebra finches have a near-human capacity for language mapping. If songbirds could appear on ...

WHEN the weather is hot, zebra finches sing a special song to their eggs that preps them for the warmer climate. The song appears to affect the unborn chicks’ development, helping them to cope with ...

Stress has a lot of negative effects. It can cause anxiety and anger. It’s associated with everything from sleepless nights to drug dependence. But stress is not actually positive or negative. It is ...

The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content. Male zebra finches growing up without mothers prefer to bond with each other in adulthood, a new ...

Are they singing The Heat is On? When it’s hot outside, zebra finches sing a special song to their eggs. That song appears to keep the chicks from growing too large after they hatch if the weather is ...