Hemispheric Asymmetry of Songbirds

Abstract This chapter, which discusses the auditory asymmetries in songbirds, reviews the evidence of motor asymmetries in the production of song, and then evidence of asymmetries in the perception of song. It also analyzes the question of sex differences in song lateralization, showing that while various species of songbirds display asymmetries in song production, the degree and side of lateralization can vary greatly between species. The chapter reveals that multiple and consistent lateralization effects for sensory processing in songbirds echo the lateralization findings for perceptual processing in other taxa, including humans, as well as robust lateralization findings in the vocal and visual system of songbirds in male song behavior. It suggests that studies of the development of hemispheric asymmetries of songbirds are very promising.