<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">The late Bob Sundstrom created an episode of BirdNote that touches on this adaptable specie’s path to vocalization.  <a href="https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/cowbird-song-and-password" class="">https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/cowbird-song-and-password</a>.  That episode references source material that will entice you down a proverbial rabbit-hole, including one by  <a class="not-premium-contrib-link--name contrib-link--name remove-underline" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 16px; font-family: "Work Sans", sans-serif; margin-right: 5px; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">GrrlScientist</a>:  <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2017/05/11/cowbirds-secret-identity-is-unlocked-by-a-vocal-password/?sh=e75fb953ce38" class="">https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2017/05/11/cowbirds-secret-identity-is-unlocked-by-a-vocal-password/?sh=e75fb953ce38</a> <div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Notably, this particular rabbit has just enjoyed thinking back on Bob via BirdNote (<a href="https://www.birdnote.org/birdnote-celebrates-work-bob-sundstrom" class="">https://www.birdnote.org/birdnote-celebrates-work-bob-sundstrom</a>), and thereby discovered that all BirdNote episodes are accessible in one, search-friendly place in addition to the venerable program itself:  <a href="https://americanarchive.org/special_collections/birdnote" class="">https://americanarchive.org/special_collections/birdnote</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Elaine</div><div class="">Seattle</div><div class="">  elc at uw dot org</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr" class=""><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" color="#000000" style="font-size: 11pt;" class=""><b class="">From:</b> Dennis Paulson <<a href="mailto:dennispaulson@comcast.net" class="">dennispaulson@comcast.net</a>><br class=""><b class="">Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 9, 2022 3:06 PM<br class=""><b class="">To:</b> Joshua Hayes <<a href="mailto:joshuaahayes@protonmail.com" class="">joshuaahayes@protonmail.com</a>><br class=""><b class="">Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" class="">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a> <<a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" class="">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>><br class=""><b class="">Subject:</b> Re: [Tweeters] Cowbird Songs: How?</font><div class=""> </div></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; line-break: after-white-space;">Hi Josh,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Cowbird song is genetically programmed, as it is in the vast majority of birds. Mostly the birds that learn their songs are Oscine passerine birds, the “songbirds.” Cowbirds are songbirds, but I guess along with their brood-parasitic habits, they have reverted to a preprogrammed song. Not that it’s any great shakes as a song.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Dennis Paulson</div><div class="">Seattle</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><br class=""><br class=""><div class="">
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =<br class="">       Elaine<br class="">

</div>
<br class=""><div><div class=""><div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" class=""><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;" class=""><b class="">From:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Joshua Hayes <<a href="mailto:joshuaahayes@protonmail.com" class="">joshuaahayes@protonmail.com</a>><br class=""><b class="">Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Tuesday, August 9, 2022 2:15 PM<br class=""><b class="">To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" class="">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><<a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" class="">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>><br class=""><b class="">Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[Tweeters] Cowbird Songs: How?</font><div class=""> </div></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" class=""><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;" class="">Hi Tweets,</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;" class="">If juvenile birds learn their songs from adult birds around them (which is the general idea, right?), then how do cowbirds learn to sing the (admittedly quite simple) cowbird song? I was watching one I had located by its song, over at North Seattle College, and it suddenly occurred to me that they don't have adult conspecifics around to learn from. So, how do they do it? Any ideas/references on the matter?</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div class="x_protonmail_signature_block" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><div class="x_protonmail_signature_block-user"><div class="">Josh Hayes</div><div class=""><a href="mailto:Joshuaahayes@proton.me" class="">Joshuaahayes@proton.me</a></div></div><div class="x_protonmail_signature_block-proton"><br class=""></div><div class="x_protonmail_signature_block-proton">Sent with<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a target="_blank" href="https://proton.me/" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="">Proton Mail</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>secure email.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div></div></div></div></div><br class=""></div></body></html>