FORMER EXPERIENCE CAN MODIFY SOCIAL SELECTIVITY DURING SONG LEARNING IN THE NIGHTINGALE (LUSCINIA-MEGARHYNCHOS)

Changes in preference for a specific song learning context, characteri zed by close proximity of a tutor, were investigated in the nightingal e, Luscinia megarbynchos. Two groups of males were tutored with conspe cific song for two periods, days 42 to 56, and days 57 to 71. Song typ es were either presented from tape alone (group A) or were played in t he presence of a familiar tutor, i.e. the person who hand-raised the b irds (group B). Acquisition success did not differ between the groups for period 2. However, while males of group B acquired songs during bo th tutoring periods, males of group A learned only during period 2. Th is indicates that in nightingales the preference for a specific song-l earning context decreases during development. A comparison with an ear lier study suggests that this shift is not age dependent but primarily due to auditory experience with the song patterns to be learned. Such a mechanism has also been described for the termination of sensitive phases for song learning. Because song acquisition in adult nightingal es does not depend any more on close spatial proximity of a familiar t utor, a male in his first spring and later on can learn from a number of singing territorial neighbours, and by this means acquire the large song-type repertoire typical for the species.