Dr. Karan Odom, post-doctoral researcher is investigating how elaborate female and male songs are and what selects for the elaboration. Male songs are typically linked to sexual selection pressures, such as its representation of a high-quality, healthy male; but for females, it may be driven by their need to compete with males for resources or other social pressures. By comparing the songs of female and male Fairywrens found on the Australian continent, she first found that the songs are not as identical as they may at first appear. Secondly, she found that the complexity of the song was higher for species closer to the equator and among species with smaller group sizes.
She is addressing additional questions about female songs in birds, and so check out her website http://femalebirdsong.org/ and see how you can get involved!
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