A pigment that makes feathers and hair orange helps prevent cellular damage by removing excess cysteine from cells.

The zebra finch is a sought-after pet bird prized for its beauty, antics, and interactive nature. Reaching only four inches in height, these tiny birds are easy to house and care for. Zebra finches ...

Their first vocalizations help young zebra finch males to memorize the songs of adults. When babies learn to talk or birds learn to sing, the same principle applies: listen and then imitate. This is ...

Three male and two female zebra finches, including two mating pairs. Females are typically all gray, though here one female is a white morph. Males are colorful, with red cheeks, zebra stripes on ...

Zebra finches have a more complex way of communicating than previously thought. A new study published in the journal Science found that the sociable songbird does not just recognize and organize ...

The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a small songbird from the perching-bird order (Passeriformes) that is used as a model organism for the study of subjects including song production, evolution, ...

Like humans who can instantly tell which friend or relative is calling by the timbre of the person's voice, zebra finches have a near-human capacity for language mapping. If songbirds could appear on ...

Zebra finches fire up brain regions and vibrate their vocal cords in ways that mimic singing, even while asleep. Flickr/Michael Lawton Zebra finches are so good at singing, they could do it in their ...

Asst. Prof. Sarah London has long appreciated zebra finches for their unique learning characteristics. The males learn from another male tutor, but their ability to memorize the tutor’s song is ...

Zebra finches sing a special song to their eggs to warn them about hot weather, and these calls seem to program the hatchlings’ cells to harness energy from food without creating excessive heat. This ...