Abstract
Vocal behavior is critical for reproductive isolation in birds. Songbirds, parrots, and hummingbirds learn to produce species-specific vocalizations. In songbirds and parrots, vocal behavior is regulated by a network of forebrain nuclei. Comparative studies suggest that these elaborated forebrain vocal control systems evolved independently. It seems that the hormone-sensitive song system observed in modern songbirds arose early in the phylogenetic lineage leading to this large group of species. The evolution of forebrain nuclei that project to the vocal production organ and receive input from the auditory system enabled vocal learning with reference to acoustic models. Vocal learning, in turn, may have led to rapid and extensive speciation among songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds.
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