TY - JOUR
T1 - Song acquisition in photosensitive and photorefractory male European starlings
AU - Böhner, Jörg
AU - Chaiken, Martha Leah
AU - Ball, Gregory F.
AU - Marler, Peter
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Susan Peters for help in judging imitations,J udith Marler for rearingt he young birds, Chris Evans for help with some figures, and the Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum of the New York Botanical Society, for permissiont o work on its property. The researchw as conducteda t the Rockefeller University Field Research Center (Millbrook, New York). The study was supportedb y a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinscha(ftB o 859/1-l) to J.B., a National Research Service Award to M.C. (received under PH5 Award/MH15125), NIMH Grant MH 14651t o P.M., and in part by BRSG SO7 RR07065a warded by the Biomedical Research Support Program Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health to the Rockefeller University.
PY - 1990/12
Y1 - 1990/12
N2 - We tested the ability of 1-year-old European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to acquire songs while in different physiological states. Photorefractory males, with low testosterone levels, learned songs as completely and as accurately as photosensitive males in full reproductive condition. This indicates that song acquisition in 1-year-old males does not depend on high levels of androgens. The ability to learn songs during the nonbreeding season may reflect the high song output of potential tutors through most of the year, including the photorefractory period, and may facilitate increases in song repertoire size in adulthood.
AB - We tested the ability of 1-year-old European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) to acquire songs while in different physiological states. Photorefractory males, with low testosterone levels, learned songs as completely and as accurately as photosensitive males in full reproductive condition. This indicates that song acquisition in 1-year-old males does not depend on high levels of androgens. The ability to learn songs during the nonbreeding season may reflect the high song output of potential tutors through most of the year, including the photorefractory period, and may facilitate increases in song repertoire size in adulthood.
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U2 - 10.1016/0018-506X(90)90043-W
DO - 10.1016/0018-506X(90)90043-W
M3 - Article
C2 - 2286369
AN - SCOPUS:0025644636
SN - 0018-506X
VL - 24
SP - 582
EP - 594
JO - Hormones and Behavior
JF - Hormones and Behavior
IS - 4
ER -