Work

Re-examining hidden fitness: Female preferences for long-path songs in zebra finches

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Female songbirds can evaluate male quality from secondary sexual characteristics such as songs. Studies have shown mixed findings on which acoustic features contribute to song attractiveness. In a 2024 study, Alam and colleagues introduced a holistic measure of song called "path length" and found that female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) prefer long path length songs as compared to short path length songs. The original female-playback study was criticized for design limitations, notably its small sample size, and pseudoreplication. Here, we conducted a preregistered replication and extension study of the female preference for long vs. short path length songs. Our study will evaluate the robustness and generality of this preference.

Source: PLoS ONE

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0343886