News Animals

Finch Concerts: Female bird brain notes male attention

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

He knows she’s listening. And now we know that she knows he knows.

SUBTLE GUY. A male zebra finch changes his song when singing to females in ways that people can barely detect. But the female finch can tell the difference. iStockphoto

Using the word “know” loosely, that’s a simplified version of a new analysis of zebra finches by neuroscientists at the University of California, San Francisco.