Studying estrildid finches to understand sexual and social signals in birds: a short review

Abstract

In ethological studies of birds, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) has played a major role as an excellent lab model species in recent decades, while other non-model species that belong to the same taxonomic group (family Estrildidae, estrildid finches) have also been characterized with intriguing ecological or morphological features worthy of attention from comparative perspectives. Therefore, this short review paper aims to bring together past findings on non-model estrildid finch species. It focuses on sexual or social signaling traits, which include plumage pattern and coloration, colored bare parts, and courtship displays (dance and song), to be compared with zebra finch findings and provide future directions for research. Overall, estrildid finches tend to have multiple ornamentations and mating signals that can be shared between the sexes, suggesting that research insights from this group would contribute to our understanding of mutual (or male) mate choice, and evolution of multiple signaling traits that include song (or female song).