The hidden fitness of the male zebra finch courtship song. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38509376/)

These scientists wanted to understand why some songbirds only learn one song in their lifetime. They studied zebra finches, a type of bird known for singing different songs. The scientists used a special technique to analyze the singing behavior of the finches and found that the way the birds spread out their song syllables in a special space could show how fit they were.

They discovered that female finches liked songs that took up more space in this special area. Young male finches had a hard time matching the length of their songs in this space. This study helped the scientists understand how simple singing repertoires may have evolved in songbirds and how female birds' preferences can influence how birds learn to sing.

Alam D., Zia F., Roberts TF. The hidden fitness of the male zebra finch courtship song. Nature. 2024 Apr;628(8006):117-121. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07207-4. Epub 2024 Mar 20.