Researchers in Buenos Aires observed a rufous-collared sparrow imitating parts of a song that had disappeared from the area since the 1960s. This occurred less than three months after scientists introduced a computer-generated rendition of the tune.
The study's co-author, Gabriel B Mindlin, a professor of physics at the University of Buenos Aires, noted that the song was recreated from hand-drawn annotations of rufous-collared sparrow songs from the 1960s. While some themes from decades ago are still sung, others had died out, though the reason for the specific song's disappearance is unclear, beyond a decline in the park's bird population.
Birdsong is recognised as important for conservation, as well-sung songs in a familiar "dialect" improve a bird's chances of finding a mate, defending territory, and surviving. However, declining populations can reduce opportunities for fledglings to learn to sing effectively, potentially leading to abnormal songs or the mistaken learning of other species' songs, which can jeopardise breeding.
While the rufous-collared sparrow is not globally vulnerable, researchers hope that synthetic recordings could be used to teach birdsong to other species with dwindling populations. This could allow conservationists to tutor individual birds in cases where real-life recordings are not available.