how is it that Brood Parasitic fledglings come to recognize it’s own species instead of whatever bird hatched and raised it? Wouldn’t it learn its surrogate parent’s calls and songs?

Question

how is it that Brood Parasitic fledglings come to recognize it’s own species instead of whatever bird hatched and raised it? Wouldn’t it learn its surrogate parent’s calls and songs?

In: 6

Answer 1

Birds do not typically learn their songs. They are born with their songs genetically implanted as natural behaviors that they display in time.

Even more intelligent birds like parrots that can learn to produce other songs and sounds also have inherent ones that they just instinctively know.