A zoo is hand-rearing a group of orphaned white-crowned sparrows.What is the best approach to help prepare the males to attract mates when released into the wild?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Exposing the male white-crowned sparrows to a mentor male bird singing their species' song during the critical period is the best approach to help prepare them to attract mates when released into the wild. This is because during the critical period, which is the time when the bird is most receptive to learning its species-specific song, exposure to a tutor bird of the same species can greatly improve the accuracy and complexity of the bird's song. Therefore, the male white-crowned sparrows will be better equipped to attract mates in the wild if they have had exposure to a mentor male of their own species during their critical period.

A Zoo Is Hand-Rearing a Group of Orphaned White-Crowned Sparrows