Seasonal plasticity of the song control system in wild Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows

Abstract

Seasonal plasticity in the morphology of telencephalic nuclei that control song behavior has been reported for diverse species of songbirds. The only published report of a lack of seasonal changes in the song nuclei of a seasonally breeding bird is that of Baker et al. in the Nuttall's subspecies of white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli). In this study, they brought wild birds into the laboratory and exposed them to either "summer" or "winter" photoperiods. Previous studies have shown that exposing wild-caught white-crowned sparrows to long-day photoperiods in the laboratory may not induce circulating concentrations of testosterone (T) as high as those seen in wild breeding birds. Changes in circulating T are primarily responsible for the seasonal morphological changes in the song nuclei. To determine whether there is seasonal plasticity of the song system in this subspecies, we measured circulating T, morphological attributes of the song nuclei, and song behavior in wild Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows during the spring and fall. Testis size and circulating T concentrations were greater in spring than fall birds. The absolute volumes of the song nuclei HVc, RA, and Area X, and their volumes relative to those of either the total telencephalon or three thalamic nonsong nuclei, were significantly greater in the spring than fall sparrows. Song behavior also changed seasonally; fall birds sang shorter songs than did spring birds. These results show that there is seasonal plasticity of the song system in wild Nuttall's white-crowned sparrows. Seasonal plasticity can now be regarded as a common feature of the seasonally breeding songbirds studied thus far.