Zebra Finch Introduction Flashcards
(20 cards)
What order do zebra finches belong to?
Passeriformes - perching birds
Describe the process of song learning.
Early singing in juveniles between 30-40 days post hatching with babbling subsong. Plastic song stage between 45 and 75dph where vocal patterns become more structured. On approaching adulthood (80-90 dph), song crystallizes into stereotyped sequence similar to that of the tutor song.
Describe the zebra finch song.
Sequence of three to seven syllables, often sung in repeated linear sequence referred to as a song motif.
The brain areas for song production and learning express receptors for what hormone?
Androgens
How does the coloration of males and females differ?
Males have orange cheek patches, fine black-and-white barring on the throat and upper breast with a subjacent solid black band, and chestnut-colored flanks speckled with white spots. Females are homogenously gray in those areas. Beaks in mature males are more red versus orange in females.
When does coloration start to change in juvenile birds?
Around one month.
What gametes are found in male and female birds?
Female - Heterogametes, ZW
Males - Homogametes, SS
What are the approximate age classes?
Hatchling = 1-20
Fledgling = 21-35
Juvenile = 36-65
Young adult = 66-90
Adult = 91-365
Mature adult = 366 days
At what age do domestic females start laying eggs?
90 days
How long do zebra finches live?
Males = 3 years
Females = 2 years
Potential for 5-7 years
How are the feet of zebra finches classified?
Anisodactylous, with three forward digits and one backward digit.
Which side of the reproductive tract develops in females?
Only left
What is the average daytime temperature of the zebra finch?
41.8C, close to 107F
What is the dominant lymphocyte in finches?
Lymphocyte
What criteria do female finches use to select a mate?
Complex, learned song. Social dominance. Potentially the color of their leg bands.
Describe breeding in finches.
Form strong pairs, but males will mate with paired females. Year-round breeding but seasonal changes in clutch size and egg mass. Ready to mate at 90 days, but recommend waiting until 6-9 months.
Describe conspecific brook parasitisim.
Egg being cared for by other than its biological parents. Common.
How large is the average finch clutch? What is the incubation length?
5 eggs. 11-14 day incubation from when last egg was laid.
When is a fledgling nutritionally independent?
At day 30-35, but will still require soft food.
What is an advantage of a small brood?
These birds fare better in several areas of physiology and behavior compared to birds from larger broods
