Behavioural neurobiology of animal communication systems

The main focus of this research program is to study the links between brain and behaviour when songbirds listen to vocalizations from their own species. Like humans learn speech, songbirds learn their vocalizations: young male songbirds must hear adult males sing in order to produce accurate song as adults. Males also listen to other males when defending territory. Females listen to male song for mate choice. Both sexes also have specific regions in the brain that are active when birds listen to song and other vocalizations. However, compared to song learning and production in males, perception of vocalizations in general and any seasonal plasticity in perception or neural regions has been studied far less, especially in females. My research program will examine both behavioural and neural aspects of perception of conspecific vocalizations Specifically, the objectives of this research include the study of: 1) accuracy in perception of vocalizations depending on frequency of production relative to time of year 2) neural response to seasonally appropriate and inappropriate vocalizations 3) seasonal plasticity of neural regions associated with perception of vocalizations 4) relationship between seasonally alternating spatial tasks, food-storing and distance perception and an underlying neural region associated with spatial memory, the hippocampus. This research will provide a more complete picture of seasonality in brain and behaviour in songbirds by providing information on perception, a previously neglected area of research.