Projects - dr. H (Hugo) Loning
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Zebra finch vocal communication in the wild
To predict how animals will adapt to climate change, it is key to understand how they respond to climatic variability. Species living in unpredictable environments, such as the climatically erratic arid zone of Australia, provide an excellent opportunity to study such adaptations.
In this project we study vocal communication in breeding decisions of wild zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), the world’s most studied lab bird. Differing from the historically studied birds of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, zebra finches are especially interesting because they are not territorial, their song is close-range and they produce songs in many different contexts such as social gatherings. Although we know that their song has a function in mate choice when reaching maturity, why they sing for the rest of their adult life remains unclear. We hypothesise that their song functions as a signal that attains breeding synchrony through social facilitation.
Fieldwork is conducted at Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station, home of the world's only nest box breeding population of wild zebra finches.
