Auditory feedback is necessary for long-term maintenance of high-frequency sound syllables in the song of adult male budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Among avian species that communicate using vocalization, songbirds (oscine Passeriformes), hummingbirds (Trochiliformes), and parrots (Psittaciformes) are vocal learners. Early studies showed that songbirds require auditory feedback for song development in young and maintenance in adults. To determine whether auditory feedback is also necessary for adult song maintenance in non-passerine species, we deprived adult male budgerigars (Psittaciformes) of auditory input by surgical cochlear removal. Songs of the deafened birds changed within 6 months after auditory deprivation. In postoperative songs, high narrowband syllables, which comprised frequency-modulated narrowband elements with relatively high fundamental frequencies of 2-4 kHz, decreased significantly. High harmonic broadband syllables, with fundamental frequencies >= 2 kHz, also decreased. The altered proportions of syllables were subsequently retained, and maintained 12 months after deafening. The sequence linearity score, a parameter representing the stereotypy of the syllable sequence, was higher than that before deafening. The inter-syllable silence was prolonged. Little change was observed in the songs of intact and sham-operated birds. The significant decrease in high-frequency syllables and song alteration followed by stabilization resembled the results with songbirds, although song stabilization took a long time in budgerigars. Therefore, our results suggest that psittacine budgerigars and oscine songbirds require auditory feedback similarly for adult song maintenance.