Catherine: It turns out that we can learn a lot about the brain from these little motifs that birds sing. Each bird has its own very specific and identifiable melodies, which is why simply by listening we can tell the difference between, say, a blackbird and a chaffinch.
Birdsong provides a relatively simple model for how the brain adapts and learns across the seasons
Typically, these tunes remain pretty static once they’ve been learned. But there do seem to be seasonal variations. For example, some birds sing more in the spring than the winter, and there may be subtle changes to the timing and pitch. This is a direct and simple marker that the brain is also changing, becoming more adaptable and malleable.
Early research suggests that the brains of other animals, including humans, may also respond to seasonal variation. This in turn may explain why some people are happier at different times of the year, or why our immune system may vary. In a nutshell, birdsong is not just lovely to listen to, it also provides a relatively simple model for how the brain adapts and learns across the seasons.