MALE CHAFFINCHES (FRINGILLA COELEBS) CAN COPY CALLS FROM A TAPE TUTOR

The chaffinch Fringilla coelebs shows variation in two call types, the rain call and the chink. This has long led to the suggestion that the se call types are subject to learning. To test this in the laboratory, male hand-reared chaffinches (n = 6) were exposed to different rain c alls and chinks recorded a) near St. Andrews, Scotland and b) in Corsi ca, both during the first three weeks after independence and for a fur ther three weeks in their first breeding season. Not all subjects deve loped rain calls, but two that did produced ones that clearly resemble d their Corsican tutor's call, and their chink was also Corsican rathe r than Scottish in form. This is the first experimental confirmation o f the long standing suggestion that rain calls are learned and also pr ovides evidence that learning plays an important role in chink develop ment.