About This Project

Populations of the European starling develop distinct song dialects by imitating the calls and songs of other species. I am teaching wild starlings novel sounds, in order to experimentally alter local song culture. I will track the spread of each new sound across populations through social learning. This research will allow us to understand how culture develops, and the roles learning and vocal flexibility play in shaping dialect change over time.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The presence of culture in animals -- tool use in crows and chimpanzees, vocal dialects in orcas and songbirds -- has long intrigued humans. The song cultures of birds are becoming an important focus because they allow us to understand how our languages evolved. Because culture requires learning from other individuals, it is generally difficult to study. However, birdsong is one form of culture that is relatively straightforward to quantify, and easy to record over time. It is therefore an important topic, both in terms of making connections to human culture, and for understanding behavioral flexibility of individual wild birds.

What is the significance of this project?

Teaching wild birds to imitate sounds has not been done before. However, doing so allows new insight into individual learning, as well as how sounds are then transmitted between individuals. Furthermore, the social learning aspect of this project will get at the root of culture. How exactly do dialects and song cultures form over time? Do certain birds become cultural leaders? By addressing these unanswered questions, scientists can begin exploring deeper questions about culture, and about how the flexibility to learn new sounds evolved.

What are the goals of the project?

I have three nestbox populations of starlings in Lincoln, Nebraska. This past spring/summer, many nestlings grew up in the nestboxes and there will be more every year. My goal is to use a speaker system to introduce different, novel sounds to each population throughout the day. Starlings prefer to copy sounds they hear often, and this playback setup will hold their attention. As my birds learn new sounds, other birds in the populations will begin using these sounds. Over time, a new song culture will emerge in each population. I will continue monitoring my populations and watch as the song cultures change with bird movement around the city.