A hypothetical Bird Song question

[jc001]

Ive been wondering ...If a wild singing bird,one with a distinctive song ..like a wren for example..was raised from an egg in a soundproofed environment away from all other birds...would it still sing the same song as other wild wrens?

( I know maybe it wouldnt sing with no females to impress...but imagine a silent non singing female appeared etc :)

[Sancho]

Ive been wondering ...If a wild singing bird,one with a distinctive song ..like a wren for example..was raised from an egg in a soundproofed environment away from all other birds...would it still sing the same song as other wild wrens?

( I know maybe it wouldnt sing with no females to impress...but imagine a silent non singing female appeared etc :)

Don´t know if the following title answers this about wrens, but if you have an interest in birdsong, how they learn it, why they do it, etc. etc., try "Why Birds Sing" by David Rothenberg, published by Allen Lane (Penguin) in hardback at 17.99 Sterling, ISBN 9780713998290. It´s a superb read.

[Gentoo]

Depends on the birds really. Doves for example, have innate songs that aren't learned. Same with gulls long calls and gmae birds. Emberizids and Fringillids on the other hand, just to name two; actually do learn their songs. There have been experiments with White-Crowned Sparrows and Chaffinches where the males have been raised just the way you suggested and they developed completely different songs having little resemblance to the true song of their species.

[jc001]

Hi,thanks for the helpful replies,

I just found this interesting webpage:
http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/birdcommunication.html

Im guessing its safe(ish ..in a very non scientific way:) to say that in most songbirds the urge to sing is genetic and often induced by hormones,but the actual songs are learnt and copied/remembered ?