A remarkable discovery has been made regarding the brain structure of budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), a small parrot species known for their talkative nature. Scientists have identified a sophisticated sound map in their brains, bearing striking resemblance to that of humans, which enables them to mimic a wide range of sounds.
Renowned for their vocal mimicry, budgerigars can imitate various sounds, including human speech. According to Guinness World Records, a budgerigar named "Puck" once held the record for the largest vocabulary of any bird, with an astonishing 1,728 words.
Michael Long, a neuroscientist from New York University, explains, “The ability to vocally mimic sounds is extremely rare in the animal kingdom.” In collaboration with fellow researcher Zetian Yang, Long sought to unravel the neurological mechanisms behind this ability. Their study was published in the prestigious journal Nature on March 19.
In the study, the brains of four budgerigars were examined while the birds were chirping. The researchers focused on a region in the forebrain called the anterior arcopallium, which plays a role in motor control related to vocalization. Within this area, they identified neurons that activated only when the birds produced specific types of sounds. Some neurons responded to vowels or consonants, while others were selective for high-pitched or low-pitched tones.
Long likened this system to a musical instrument: “It’s like a set of keys, or in this case, brain cells, each capable of producing a distinct vocal sound when ‘played’—a kind of internal instrument built into the brain.”
The team also noted that humans possess a similar neural structure, particularly in a brain region crucial for speech. “We found that vocal sounds are represented in a way comparable to the way they are in a critical area of the human brain,” Long said.
For comparison, the researchers also studied zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), which are not known for vocal mimicry. These birds typically learn only one short song, which they practice for months. The scientists found no comparable neural structure in their brains. Instead, zebra finches seem to use a more complex and less intuitive system to encode their songs.
Long highlighted the contrast: while budgerigars generate complex sounds with a simple, intuitive system, zebra finches rely on a more intricate mechanism for much simpler vocalizations.
Commenting on the findings, Erich Jarvis of Rockefeller University noted, “This research shows that the neural activity and vocal behaviors of parrots are more similar to those of humans than to other songbirds.”
Ultimately, understanding how budgerigars produce speech-like sounds may not only satisfy scientific curiosity but also offer new insights into the treatment of speech disorders in humans.