Cross-fostering diminishes song discrimination in zebra Wnches (Taeniopygia guttata)

ences in oscine birds are dually inXuenced by species iden-tity and the ontogenetic environment. The cross-fostering of a model species for recognition research, the zebra Wnch (Taeniopygia guttata) into heterospeciWc nests of the Ben-galese Wnch (Lonchura striata vars. domestica) allows an exploration of the sensory limits of early development and the eVects of species-speciWc acoustic cues upon song dis-crimination in adulthood. To quantify the song preferences of female and male normal-reared (control) and Bengalese Wnch fostered zebra Wnches, we recorded multiple behav-ioral measures, including spatial proximity, vocalization rates and response latency, during sequential song-playback choice-trials using both tutor species ’ songs and the songs of two other ecologically relevant Australian species, the owl Wnch (Taeniopygia bichenovii) and the star Wnch (Neochmia ruWcauda). Response strength was variable between the diVerent measures, but no diVerences were detected within the speciWc behavioral responses towards the song playbacks of the two sexes. Control subjects strongly preferred their own species ’ songs while Bengal-ese-fostered zebra Wnches exhibited reduced song discrimi-nation between con-, tutor-, and heterospeciWc songs. Overall behavioral responsiveness was also modulated by social ontogeny. These results indicate a diVerence in the strength of preference for song that is dependent on the spe-cies identity of the rearing environment in oscine birds and illustrate the role of multiple behavioral measures and eco-logically relevant stimulus species selection in behavioral research using zebra Wnches