Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 26, 2026

A Lightweight, Headphones-based System for Manipulating Auditory Feedback in Songbirds
Published on: November 26, 2012
From perception to action in songbird production: dynamics of a whole loop
Ana Amador1, Santiago Boari1, Gabriel B Mindlin1
1Physics Department, FCEyN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and IFIBA Conicet Int. Guiraldes 2160, Pab.1, Ciudad Universitaria, (1428) Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abstract:
Birdsong emerges when a set of highly interconnected brain areas manage to generate a complex output. This consists of precise respiratory rhythms as well as motor instructions to control the vocal organ configuration. In this way, during birdsong production, dedicated cortical areas interact with life-supporting ones in the brainstem, such as the respiratory nuclei. We discuss an integrative view of this interaction together with a widely accepted "top-down" representation of the song system. We also show that a description of this neural network in terms of dynamical systems allows to explore songbird production and processing by generating testable predictions.
Related Concept Videos
Perception of Sound Waves
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same...
Auditory Perception
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
Hearing
Feedback Loops
Perception
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...

