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The Neuroethology of Birdsong pp 175–209Cite as

The Neuroethology of Vocal Communication in Songbirds: Production and Perception of a Call Repertoire

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Part of the book series: Springer Handbook of Auditory Research ((SHAR,volume 71))

Abstract

Oscines learn to produce a complex vocalization, the song, which they copy from a conspecific as young birds. The song is an attractive and conspicuous acoustic signal with striking spectral and temporal complexity. The oscine song copying behavior is also remarkable because vocal imitation is a relatively rare ability in vertebrates and because none of the nonavian species can outperform the best oscine mimics. Studies of the neurobiology of song learning have unraveled many of the mechanisms involved in this impressive vocal behavior. Song, however, is only one of the many vocalizations that are produced by oscines. The vocal repertoire of oscines is impressive not only because of the number of vocalizations produced but also because of the flexible production and usage of these sounds. This chapter reviews the vocal behavior of oscines in the framework of animal communication and examines the mechanisms underlying the production and perception of all vocalization types. The chapter also reviews how the auditory system and vocal and social brain networks might be connected to generate appropriate responses to communication calls and song. As a whole, this chapter argues that studies of the mechanisms underlying song learning and also the mechanisms underlying call plasticity, production, and perception are critical for understanding the neuroethology of vocal communication in oscines. Embracing the complexity of the vocal communication system of oscines will enhance our understanding of the brain areas that, until now, have mostly been studied in the context of song imitation.

“Bird calls are the neglected orphans of avian behavioral neurobiology.”– Marler 2004.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Profs. Martin Wild, Marc Schmidt, Sarah Woolley, and Jon Sakata for their insightful comments and feedback on draft versions of this chapter.

Compliance with Ethics Requirements

Julie Elie declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Frédéric Theunissen declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Julie E. Elie

  2. Departments of Psychology, Integrative Biology, and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Frédéric E. Theunissen

Authors
  1. Julie E. Elie
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  2. Frédéric E. Theunissen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julie E. Elie .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Centre for Research in Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Jon T. Sakata

  2. Department of Biology and Centre for Research in Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Sarah C. Woolley

  3. Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Richard R. Fay

  4. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Arthur N. Popper

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Elie, J.E., Theunissen, F.E. (2020). The Neuroethology of Vocal Communication in Songbirds: Production and Perception of a Call Repertoire. In: Sakata, J., Woolley, S., Fay, R., Popper, A. (eds) The Neuroethology of Birdsong. Springer Handbook of Auditory Research, vol 71. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34683-6_7

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