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Vocal development in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus): contact calls
E F Brittan-Powell1, R J Dooling, S M Farabaugh
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland College Park 20742-4411, USA.
Journal of Comparative Psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)
|September 1, 1997
Summary
Budgerigar vocal development shows age-related changes in food-begging and contact calls. Young birds learn calls from companions, similar to human language acquisition.
Area of Science:
- Avian Ethology
- Bioacoustics
- Animal Communication
Background:
- Budgerigars exhibit complex vocal learning.
- Vocal development is crucial for social bonding and communication in many species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the vocal development trajectory in budgerigars from hatching to 4 weeks postfledging.
- To analyze changes in food-begging and contact calls over time.
- To explore vocal learning and social influences on call development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal observation of budgerigar vocalizations from hatching.
- Acoustic analysis of food-begging calls and contact calls.
- Perceptual testing of call discrimination by adult budgerigars.
Main Results:
- Food-begging calls exhibited age-dependent acoustic variations.
- Contact calls resembled shortened food-begging calls within a week of fledging.
- Budgerigar repertoires expanded post-fledging, showing evidence of call sharing and imitation among social groups.
- Acoustic variation decreased with age, while call discrimination by adults improved.
Conclusions:
- Budgerigar vocal development involves significant learning and social interaction.
- The developmental patterns observed in budgerigars parallel aspects of human language acquisition.
- Vocal learning plays a key role in budgerigar social communication and development.