Constant light and pinealectomy disrupt daily rhythm in song production and negatively impact reproductive performance in zebra finches

We assessed the circadian clock control of singing and reproductive performance in zebra finches. Experiment 1 examined changes in body mass, testis size, and plasma corticosterone and testosterone levels in male birds exposed to constant light (LL, 100 lx) and constant darkness (DD, 0.5 lx), with controls on 12L:12D (L = 100 lx, D = 0.5 lx). There was a significant increase in the body mass and testis size under LL and a decrease in testis size under the DD. Using a similar design, experiment 2 assessed the persistence of the circadian rhythm in singing along with activity-rest pattern in cohort I birds that were entrained to 12L:12D and subsequently released in DD or LL, and in cohort II birds that were entrained to 12L:12D and following pinealectomy were released in DD. Both activity and singing patterns were synchronized with the light phase under 12L:12D, free-ran with a circadian period under DD, and were arrhythmic under the LL. There was an overall decreased and increased effect on singing under DD and LL, respectively, albeit with differences in various song parameters. The pinealectomy disrupted both activity and singing rhythms but did not affect singing or the overall song features. Pinealectomized bird pairs also exhibited a significant reduction in their nest-building and breeding efforts, resulting in a compromised reproductive performance. These results suggest a circadian clock control of singing and more importantly demonstrate a role of the pineal clock in breeding behaviors, leading to a compromised reproductive performance in diurnal zebra finches.