June 17, 2024, 12:08 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
A team of researchers at the University of Buenos Aires has decoded the dreams of birds acoustically for the first time. PETBOOK finds out how they did it and what the dreams tell us about the animals’ behavior and psyche.
Do birds dream while they sleep? And if so, what do they dream about? In a recent study, led by Gabriel Mindlin, a team of researchers at the University of Buenos Aires made the dreams of birds audible for the first time. This study provides insight into the nocturnal thoughts of these creatures.
New study reveals: What do birds dream about?
In the study, entitled “Synthesizing Avian Dreams,” researchers used a technique called electromyography (EMG) to record the neuronal and muscular activity of sleeping birds.
EMG is a method of attaching electrodes to muscles to measure their electrical activity. In this study, the electrodes were attached to the muscles of the birds’ vocal apparatus. This was done to record activity patterns during sleep. The researchers focused on the sulphur-masked tyrant (Pitangus sulphuratus).
The sulphur-masked tyrant, also known as the “Great Kiskadee”, is a bird native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. It is easily recognized by its black and white-striped head and bright yellow belly. This omnivorous bird is renowned for its distinctive, loud calls.
The sulphur-masked tyrant was chosen for the study because of its simple lower larynx and complex song patterns. These characteristics made it easier to analyze and reproduce its songs.
The researchers placed electrodes on the syrinx muscles of the sleeping bird and recorded the activity during sleep. The recorded muscle activity patterns were then converted into synthetic song using a dynamic system model. This translated the silent activity of the muscles into audible sounds.
The result: In their sleep, the birds produced the same trilling sounds that they use in territorial disputes during the day. These trilling sounds were reproduced in the bird’s dream without vocalization. This suggests that, similar to humans, birds may replay experiences and behaviors from their waking lives in their dreams.
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Research findings expand our understanding of bird dreams
The finding that certain birds also activate the neural patterns for song during sleep could help to better understand the role that sleep and dreams play in the learning and memory process for birds. It seems that birds, much like humans, may process experiences while they dream.
The method could be further refined and applied in real time to interact directly with dreaming birds to study their responses to acoustic stimuli. This technique could be extended to other bird species with equally complex song patterns, such as zebra finches or nightingales. It could also provide deeper insights into the role of dreaming in the learning and memory process of birds.