Female Song(?)

[GregH]

A recently published paper reviewed for the ABC story Was Charles Darwin sexist when it comes to Aussie birds? suggests that female song is the norm amongst song-birds but what about Estrillid finches? I think we'd all agree that female finches are not mute but do they sing? It's often said that it's a reliable way of determining the sex of sexually monomorphic finches (like munias, Lonchura spp.); the adage being "if it sings it's male and if it doesn't then it's probably female" however it may be an intimidated subordinate male. That said I'm sure I've had some very butch hens amongst the spice finches and stars I've kept that did a fair bit of singing/crowing. What are other people's experience of this and while were's knocking down stereotypes has anyone ever had a male bird that incubated overnight?

[Craig52]

A recently published paper reviewed for the ABC story Was Charles Darwin sexist when it comes to Aussie birds? suggests that female song is the norm amongst song-birds but what about Estrillid finches? I think we'd all agree that female finches are not mute but do they sing? It's often said that it's a reliable way of determining the sex of sexually monomorphic finches (like munias, Lonchura spp.); the adage being "if it sings it's male and if it doesn't then it's probably female" however it may be an intimidated subordinate male. That said I'm sure I've had some very butch hens amongst the spice finches and stars I've kept that did a fair bit of singing/crowing. What are other people's experience of this and while were's knocking down stereotypes has anyone ever had a male bird that incubated overnight?

Hi Greg,yes i have had many Lonchura specie hens sing but not to the extent of the cock birds song.More like a squeaky off key sound.
Young gouldian hens,peering at adult cocks and squeaking away and also attempting to dance.
A fully coloured hen crimson with a little bit of red running onto the chest did the whole courtship song and dance to another hen crimson and mated with it.It turned out being a cock in drag so i got rid of it

Craig

[finchbreeder]

Some of my canary hens certainly sing. Not a full throated warbling like a cock sings, but a pleasant little trilling. And some of the Bengo hens do likewise.
LML

[elferoz777]

My first canary (aptly named Duncan) was sold as a cock bird.

That poor bird endured hours of canary training CDs, youtube footage and even a goldfinch song CD.

I cannot exactly recall what raised the curtain on Duncan's issue but at some stage I discovered he was actually a she.

Of thing is it did sing a little...which is why I tortured it with the CDs.

I was 23 and it was my first non parrot birds so I had a lot of learning to do. Duncan was a good hen and had a decent song that I compare to some of the poorer singing males out there.