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Abstract
Song in zebra finches is an important mating signal- males learn a specific song from a “tutor” and eventually use it to attract a female, while females choose a mate based on their song preferences. Given that singing is a male-specific behavior, there is limited knowledge surrounding song learning ability in female zebra finches, as it was presumed that females are not receptive to song exposure during development. This study utilized fourteen female zebra finches to address whether early rearing conditions influence song preference in adulthood. Females were semi-randomly assigned to one of two conditions- “tutored” (exposure to the song of an unrelated male) or “isolated” (completely isolated from song). Song preference was tested with an operant conditioning perch-trigger assay, in which hopping on a perch triggered the playback of one of two songs. Results indicated that all “tutored” females (n = 7) significantly preferred the “familiar” song, or the song of the male that they had been exposed to during development, over an “unfamiliar” song of similar structure. The group of “isolated” females (n = 7) did not form a specific preference for one song over the other, and individually, they displayed varied preferences. These findings suggest that females are sensitive to song exposure throughout development, thus having implications for early song learning on mate choice in adulthood.