Avian acoustic communication: Understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptations
Avian vocal communication represents one of the most intricate forms of animal language, playing a critical role in behavioral interactions. Both peripheral and central auditory-vocal pathways are essential for precisely integrating acoustic signals, ensuring effective communication. Like humans, so...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Avian Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2053716625000271 |
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| author | Xuan Peng Limin Wang Chenchen Shao Dongming Li |
| author_facet | Xuan Peng Limin Wang Chenchen Shao Dongming Li |
| author_sort | Xuan Peng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Avian vocal communication represents one of the most intricate forms of animal language, playing a critical role in behavioral interactions. Both peripheral and central auditory-vocal pathways are essential for precisely integrating acoustic signals, ensuring effective communication. Like humans, songbirds exhibit vocal learning behaviors supported by complex neural mechanisms. However, unlike most mammals, songbirds possess the remarkable ability to regenerate damaged auditory cells. These capabilities offer unique opportunities to explore how birds adjust their vocal behavior and auditory processing in response to dynamic environmental conditions. Recent studies have advanced our understanding of the plasticity of avian vocal communication system, yet the vocal diversity and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying vocalization and hearing have often been examined independently. A comprehensive overview of how these systems interact and adapt in birds remains lacking. To address this gap, this review synthesizes the peripheral and central features of avian vocalization and hearing, while also exploring the mechanisms that drive the remarkable plasticity of these systems. Furthermore, it explores seasonal variations in bird vocalization and hearing and adaptations to environmental noise, focusing on how hormonal, neural, and ecological factors together shape vocal behavior and auditory sensitivity. Avian vocal communication systems present an exceptional model for studying the integration of peripheral and central vocal-auditory pathways and their adaptive responses to ever-changing environments. This review underscores the dynamic interactions between avian vocal communication systems and environmental stimuli, offering new insights into broader principles of sensory processing, and neuroplasticity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9684355909614ddd9fe10bedaf21cf5f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2053-7166 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-9684355909614ddd9fe10bedaf21cf5f2025-08-20T02:18:32ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Avian Research2053-71662025-06-0116210024810.1016/j.avrs.2025.100248Avian acoustic communication: Understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptationsXuan Peng0Limin Wang1Chenchen Shao2Dongming Li3Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, ChinaHebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China; Hebei Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Environment, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China; Corresponding author. Hebei Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, 050024, China.Avian vocal communication represents one of the most intricate forms of animal language, playing a critical role in behavioral interactions. Both peripheral and central auditory-vocal pathways are essential for precisely integrating acoustic signals, ensuring effective communication. Like humans, songbirds exhibit vocal learning behaviors supported by complex neural mechanisms. However, unlike most mammals, songbirds possess the remarkable ability to regenerate damaged auditory cells. These capabilities offer unique opportunities to explore how birds adjust their vocal behavior and auditory processing in response to dynamic environmental conditions. Recent studies have advanced our understanding of the plasticity of avian vocal communication system, yet the vocal diversity and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying vocalization and hearing have often been examined independently. A comprehensive overview of how these systems interact and adapt in birds remains lacking. To address this gap, this review synthesizes the peripheral and central features of avian vocalization and hearing, while also exploring the mechanisms that drive the remarkable plasticity of these systems. Furthermore, it explores seasonal variations in bird vocalization and hearing and adaptations to environmental noise, focusing on how hormonal, neural, and ecological factors together shape vocal behavior and auditory sensitivity. Avian vocal communication systems present an exceptional model for studying the integration of peripheral and central vocal-auditory pathways and their adaptive responses to ever-changing environments. This review underscores the dynamic interactions between avian vocal communication systems and environmental stimuli, offering new insights into broader principles of sensory processing, and neuroplasticity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2053716625000271Environmental noiseHearingNeurophysiological mechanismSeasonalitySongVocalization |
| spellingShingle | Xuan Peng Limin Wang Chenchen Shao Dongming Li Avian acoustic communication: Understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptations Avian Research Environmental noise Hearing Neurophysiological mechanism Seasonality Song Vocalization |
| title | Avian acoustic communication: Understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptations |
| title_full | Avian acoustic communication: Understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptations |
| title_fullStr | Avian acoustic communication: Understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Avian acoustic communication: Understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptations |
| title_short | Avian acoustic communication: Understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptations |
| title_sort | avian acoustic communication understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptations |
| topic | Environmental noise Hearing Neurophysiological mechanism Seasonality Song Vocalization |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2053716625000271 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xuanpeng avianacousticcommunicationunderstandingofperipheralandcentralneuralsystemswithecologicaladaptations AT liminwang avianacousticcommunicationunderstandingofperipheralandcentralneuralsystemswithecologicaladaptations AT chenchenshao avianacousticcommunicationunderstandingofperipheralandcentralneuralsystemswithecologicaladaptations AT dongmingli avianacousticcommunicationunderstandingofperipheralandcentralneuralsystemswithecologicaladaptations |