On the Development of Song in Young Cardinals

Groups of cardinals, Richmondena cardinalis, hand-reared from the age of 5 to 8 days developed some of the simple sounds used by wild adults in their songs, but not the two- or three-parted sounds. Although reared in three groups: three together in a room, three singly in sound-isolation boxes, and four exposed to recorded cardinal songs at 7 to 8 months, all isolates developed comparable songs. Observations on wild young in the field and in captivity indicate that much learning occurs during a cardinal's first summer, but some also occurs the following February and March.