If the device on its back bothers it too much, the finch stops singing – and the experiment is then adjusted accordingly. | Image: zVg

Male zebra finches sing almost nonstop – but only when they feel good, according to Richard Hahnloser of ETH Zurich. He is investigating their means of communication, which involves him sometimes having to tether them up or make surgical interventions in their brain. “Up to now, there has hardly been any research into how they feel”, he says. So he has recorded millions of birdsongs and analysed them. The results showed that the males fall silent when under stress. As a result, he only carries out his tests when he can hear that the birds are doing well. This is good for the birds, and also good for the scientists, because it makes their results more reliable.

H. Yamahachi et al.: Undirected singing rate as a non-invasive tool for welfare monitoring in isolated male zebra finches. PLOS ONE (2020)