Zebra Finch
The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a small songbird of arid Australia and the main laboratory model for studying how brains learn vocal communication. It was the first songbird to have its genome sequenced, in 2010.
The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a small songbird of arid Australia and the main laboratory model for studying how brains learn vocal communication. It was the first songbird to have its genome sequenced, in 2010.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Zebra Finch in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Learning to Sing: Why Is It Like Learning to Speak?
A young male memorizes the song of an adult tutor during a sensitive period and then practices, gradually matching it, much as human infants learn speech. Songbirds, parrots and humans are among the few animals with such vocal learning.
Song Circuits
A dedicated set of brain nuclei, including HVC and RA, controls song, and neurons in HVC fire in precise patterns during singing. New neurons are added to this region in adult birds, which made the finch a model for studying brain plasticity. The gene FOXP2, involved in human speech disorders, is also active in these circuits.
Life in Dry Country
Zebra finches breed opportunistically after rains, form lifelong pairs and can go long periods with little water, a set of traits suited to the Australian interior.
Zebra Finch at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Taeniopygia guttata |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia: Aves (Birds) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Primary neurobiological model for studying vocal learning, song crystallization, and auditory processing. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2018 |
| Genome published | 2010 |
| Research focus | Vocal learning |
See Also
- Neuroscientist — brain circuits for learned behavior
- Gene expression — FOXP2 and song