Females sing more than they think: about bird brain structure – science

Birds sing more in the spring than the rest of the year. Before the breeding season, they must attract a mate and defend a territory. Neurobiologist Annemie Van Der Linden (Untwerp) and her colleagues have established that the brain structure of songbirds changes over the course of a year. In the review eLife they report that the more animals sing, the more their brains change.

In addition, this does not only occur in the areas of the brain related to singing, but also in the areas responsible for sight and hearing. The changes happen quite quickly until spring.

Interestingly, female birds sing more than many biologists assume. Their brains are also changing, but differently from men’s. In male starlings, the cerebral hemisphere responsible for song is more densely wired than the other, but in females there are stronger connections between the two hemispheres. A similar difference also occurs in humans.

Biologist Erik Matthysen (UAntwerp) signs up with a number of colleagues Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that the character of birds is in part determined by place and time. Some great tits are daring, others cautious. The distinction is hereditary, but the balance of the two types in a population changes due to local conditions. In years or in places with less food, Daredevils have an advantage, as they will more easily find new sources of food. If there is enough to eat, it is enough to be routine – it is more energy efficient.

The character of birds is in part determined by local circumstances.

Birds sing more in the spring than the rest of the year. Before the breeding season, they must attract a mate and defend a territory. Neurobiologist Annemie Van Der Linden (Untwerp) and her colleagues have established that the brain structure of songbirds changes over the course of a year. In the specialist journal eLife, they report that the more animals sing, the more their brains change. In addition, this does not only occur in the areas of the brain related to singing, but also in the areas responsible for sight and hearing. The changes happen quite quickly until spring. Interestingly, female birds sing more than many biologists assume. Their brains are also changing, but differently from men’s. In male starlings, the cerebral hemisphere responsible for song is more densely wired than the other, but in females there are stronger connections between the two hemispheres. A similar difference also occurs in humans. Biologist Erik Matthysen (Untwerp) and a number of colleagues write in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that the character of birds is in part determined by place and time. Some great tits are daring, others cautious. The distinction is hereditary, but the balance of the two types in a population changes due to local conditions. In years or in places with less food, Daredevils have an advantage, as they will more easily find new sources of food. If there is enough to eat, it is enough to be routine – it is more energy efficient.