Eastern phoebe

The eastern phoebe, Sayornis phoebe, is a North American flycatcher belonging to Tyranni, the suboscine branch of Passeriformes. It often watches for flying insects from a low perch, then makes a short flight to capture prey. Sheltered ledges, including those on bridges and buildings, provide nesting sites. Feeding behavior and nest placement help identify the living species alongside its appearance and voice.^[ref]

Its vocal development provides a controlled test of learning. In a 1991 study, four nestlings collected at 10–12 days were hand-reared and deafened at about 35 days, before they began singing. Their later songs were judged normal in comparison with wild males and intact laboratory birds. The tested birds could therefore develop the species-typical song without auditory feedback from their own voices.^[ref]

The result is narrower than saying that the brain or experience has no role in singing. It tests whether intact hearing during this developmental interval is necessary for the measured song pattern. Comparing it with a songbird experiment in which removing auditory experience disrupts song makes the experimental question clear: similar adult behavior can arise through different developmental requirements.