Home page for Michael Beecher

          

Michael D. Beecher                           Melospiza melodia                    UW Fountain & Mount Rainier

Professor of Psychology & Zoology
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington 98195
(206/543-6545)
(email: beecher@u.washington.edu)

Current Research:

My laboratory is studying the function and the development of bird song. Our study species is the song sparrow (Melospiza melodia). The first aspect (function) is pursued in the field, via a long-term banding and recording program combined with field experiments (mostly playback studies). The second aspect (development) is pursued both in the field, where we focus on young males we have banded in the nest or netted during their first summer, and in the laboratory, where we attempt to recreate and analyze the key conditions identified in the field studies.

The use of elaborate acoustic vocalizations (“song”) for communication is common in a wide variety of animal groups. In the oscine passerines (songbirds), song has an additional, intriguing aspect: it is learned, with much of that learning occurring very early in life. Song learning in songbirds has been extensively analyzed in the laboratory and has become a major model system for studying the neurobiology of learning. Its value as a model system is enhanced by its many parallels with human language learning. These parallels include an early sensitive period, a perceptual filtering mechanism tuned to species communication signals, a crucial role for auditory feedback in normal development, a separation between sensory and motor learning, and an early subsong or babbling stage. Work on the neural basis of song perception and production in songbirds has revealed additional parallels between the neural centers for song in birds and those for language in humans. In this context, understanding the normal course of song development in songbirds becomes crucial if this model system is going to provide general insights into the development of vocal communication systems in general and human language in particular.

Despite the great interest in bird song learning, our understanding of normal bird song development remains surprisingly incomplete. One reason this is so is because most studies of song learning to date have been laboratory experiments from which essentially all social features have been removed. Recent research has suggested, however, that social factors may be the key to understanding song learning. We are investigating the role of social factors in several lines of research. In field studies we have discovered that a young song sparrow typically learns the songs of the several neighbors in the area where he will attempt to establish his territory. Our laboratory “simulations”, in which we use four adult birds as song tutors, each in his own aviary in our outdoor roof laboratory, have supported this conclusion and indicated as well that much song tutoring consists not of face-to-face interactions between song “tutor” and “pupil”, but involve long-distance (across the roof) singing interactions the young bird participates in or overhears. We are now doing more analytic experiments with both live and “virtual” tutors designed to compare the relative importance of direct vs. overheard singing interactions. A “virtual” tutor is a computer program that presents digitized songs to the young bird in a manner simulating natural singing interactions. In another approach, we are examining song learning in the field by radio-tracking young song sparrows through their first year and correlating the extent and timing of their interactions with potential song tutors and the degree to which the young birds copy their songs.

Finally, we are also doing integrative, collaborative studies of the role of neural song centers in song perception and production (collaborative with Eliot Brenowitz).

Recent Papers:

[Note: Underlined titles are linked to a Word or PDF file if unpublished or pre-proofs, to PDF file if in proofs or published. PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader. The published papers have been published in the journal indicated, which is the only definitive repository of the content that has been certified and accepted after peer review. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by the publisher. This material is for individual use only and may not be copied or re-posted without explicit permission.]

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Stoddard, P. K., Beecher, M. D. & Willis, M. S. (1988). Response of territorial male song sparrows to song types and variations. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 22, 125-130.

Beecher, M. D. (1988). Kin recognition in birds. Behavior Genetics, 18, 465-482.

Beecher, M. D. (1988). Spectrographic analysis of bird vocalizations: Implications of the uncertainty principle. Bioacoustics, 1, 187-208.

Bolles, R. C. & Beecher, M. D. (eds) (1988). Evolution and Learning, Erlbaum.

Beecher, M. D. (1989). Signaling systems for individual recognition: an information theory approach. Animal Behaviour, 38, 248-261.

Beecher, M. D. & Stoddard, P. K. (1990). The role of bird song and calls in individual recognition: Contrasting field and laboratory perspectives. In Berkley, M. & Stebbins, W. C. (Eds.), Comparative Perception – Vol. II: Complex Signals, pp. 375-408, New York: Wiley.

Stoddard, P. K., Beecher, M. D., Horning, C. H. & Willis, M. S. (1990). Strong neighbor-stranger discrimination in song sparrows. Condor, 97, 1051-1056.

Stoddard, P. K., Beecher, M. D., Horning, C. H. & Campbell, S. E.  (1991) Recognition of individual neighbors by song in the song sparrow, a bird with song repertoires. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 29, 211-215.

Stoddard, P. K., Beecher, M. D., Horning, C. H. & Campbell, S. E. (1992). Song type matching in the song sparrow. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 70, 1440-1444.

Stoddard, P. K., Beecher, M. D., Loesche, P. & Campbell, S. E. (1992). Memory does not constrain individual recognition in a bird with song repertoires. Behaviour, 122, 274-287.

Horning, C. L, Beecher, M. D., Stoddard, P. K. & Campbell, S. E. (1993). Song perception in the song sparrow: Importance of different parts of the song in song type classification. Ethology, 94, 46-58.

Marean, G. C., Burt, J., Beecher, M. D. & Rubel, E. W. (1993). Hair cell regeneration in the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris): Recovery of pure-tone detection threshold. Hearing Research, 71, 125-136.

Beecher, M. D., Campbell, S. E. & Stoddard, P. K. (1994). Correlation of song learning and territory establishment strategies in the song sparrow. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 91, 1450-1454.

Beecher, M. D., Campbell, S. E. & Burt, J. (1994). Song perception in the song sparrow: Birds classify by song type but not by singer. Animal Behaviour, 47, 1343-1351.

Beecher, M. D., Stoddard, P. K., Campbell, S. E., & Horning, C. L. (1996). Repertoire matching between neighbouring song sparrows. Animal Behaviour, 51, 917-923.

Beecher, M. D. (1996). Bird song learning in the laboratory and the field. In D. E. Kroodsma & E. L. Miller (Eds.), Ecology and Evolution of Acoustic Communication in Birds, pp. 61-78, Ithaca, NY: Cornell.

O'Loghlen, A. L. & Beecher, M. D. (1997). Sexual preferences for mate song types in female song sparrows. Animal Behaviour, 53, 835-841.

Smith, G. T., Brenowitz, E. A., Beecher, M. D. & Wingfield, J. C. (1997). Seasonal changes in testosterone, neural attributes of song control nuclei, and song structure in wild songbirds. Journal of Neuroscience, 17, 6001-6010.

Beecher, M. D., Nordby J. C., Campbell, S. E, Burt, J. M., Hill, C. E. & O'Loghlen, A. O. (1997). What is the function of song learning in songbirds? In Owings, D. H., Beecher, M. D. & Thompson, N. S. (Eds.), Perspectives in Ethology, Vol. 12: Communication, pp. 77-97, New York: Plenum Press.

Beecher, M. D., Campbell, S. E. & Nordby J. C. (1998). The cognitive ecology of song communication and song learning in the song sparrow. In R. Dukas (Ed.), Cognitive Ecology, pp. 175-199, Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.

Marean, G. C., Burt, J., Beecher, M. D. & Rubel, E. W. (1998). Auditory perception following hair cell regeneration in the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris): Frequency and temporal resolution. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 103, 3567-3580.

Nordby J. C. , Campbell, S. E & Beecher, M. D. (1999). Ecological correlates of song learning in song sparrows. Behavioral Ecology, 10, 287-297.

O'Loghlen, A. L. & Beecher, M. D. (1999). Mate, neighbour and stranger songs: a female song sparrow perspective. Animal Behaviour, 58, 13-20.

Hill, C. E., Campbell, S. E., Nordby, J. C., Burt, J. M. & Beecher, M. D. (1999). Song sharing in two populations of song sparrows. Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology, 46, 341-349.

Burt, J. M., Lent, K. L, Beecher, M. D. & Brenowitz, E. A. (2000). Lesions of avian song nucleus lMAN in female canaries affect song perception in an operant task. Journal of Neurobiology, 42, 1-13.

Beecher M. D., Campbell, S. E., Burt, J. M., Hill, C. E. & Nordby, J. C. (2000). Song-type matching between neighbouring song sparrows. Animal Behaviour, 59, 21-27.

Beecher, M. D., Campbell, S. E. & Nordby J. C. (2000). Territory tenure in song sparrows is related to song sharing with neighbors, but not to repertoire size.  Animal Behaviour, 59, 29-37.

Nordby, J. C., Campbell, S. E., Burt, J. M. & Beecher M. D. (2000) Social influences during song development in the song sparrow: a laboratory experiment simulating field conditions. Animal Behaviour, 59, 1187-1197.

Peters, S., Searcy, W. A., Beecher, M. D. & Nowicki, S. (2000) Geographic variation in the organization of song sparrow repertoires. Auk, 117, 936-942.

Nordby, J. C., Campbell, S. E. & Beecher M. D. (2001) Late song learning in song sparrows. Animal Behaviour, 61, 835-846.

Burt, J. M., Campbell, S. E. & Beecher, M. D. (2001) Song type matching as threat: a test using interactive playback. Animal Behaviour, 62, 1163-1170.

Nordby, J. C., Campbell, S. E. & Beecher M. D. (2002) Adult song sparrows do not alter their song repertoires. Ethology, 108, 39-50.

Burt, J. M., Bard, S. C., Campbell, S. E. & Beecher, M. D. (2002) Alternative forms of song matching in song sparrows. Animal Behaviour, 63, 1143-1151.

Reeves, B. J., Brenowitz, E. A. & Beecher, M. D. (2003) Seasonal changes in avian song control circuits do not cause seasonal changes in song discrimination in song sparrows. Journal of Neurobiology, 57, 119-129.

Beecher, M. D. & Burt, J. M. (2004) The role of social interaction in bird song learning. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13, 224-228.

Beecher, M. D. & Brenowitz, E. A. (2005) Functional aspects of song learning in birds. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 20, 143-149.

Brenowitz, E. A. & Beecher, M. D. (2005) Song learning in birds: Diversity and plasticity, opportunities and challenges. Trends in Neuroscience, 28, 127-132.

Beecher, M. D. & Campbell, S. E. (2005) The role of unshared songs in singing interactions between neighbouring song sparrows. Animal Behaviour, 70, 1297-1304.

Beecher, M. D., Burt, J. M., O’Loghlen, A. L., Templeton, C. N. & Campbell, S. E. (in press) Bird song learning in an eavesdropping context. Animal Behaviour.

Nordby, J. C., Campbell, S. E. & Beecher M. D. (in press) Selective attrition and individual song repertoire development in song sparrows. Animal Behaviour.

Burt, J. M., O’Loghlen, A. L., Templeton, C. N., Campbell, S. E. & Beecher, M. D., (in press) Social factors in song learning: Studies with ‘virtual’ (computer) tutors. Ethology.

Hill, C. E., Campbell, S. E. & Beecher, M. D. (In prep.) Does female choice select for male song repertoires? Female choice of extra-pair mates and male song characteristics in the song sparrow.

Templeton, C. N. et al.  Progress Report on Radio-Tracking Study.

 

Webpages:  John Burt Chris Templeton Tim Billo Anya Illes  Çağlar Akçay   Photos:  Rogues Gallery   Chris H graduates  The Maestro Michael Beecher Curriculum Vitae                                                                           Mike ‘supervises’ John in a technical endeavor

 

Songs of two neighbors

  note: click on display in presentation mode to play song                      

         

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