We use miniature, motorized electrode drives to record activity from single cells in targeted brain regions of the singing bird. These recordings allow us to understand how the song is represented in different parts of the song circuit and how this neural representation evolves as a function of learning. We also combine electrical recordings with manipulations of nearby circuits to shed light on how neural responses in a given area are influenced and shaped by activity in adjacent brain regions.
Song aligned spike rasters (start and end of song denoted by asterisk) recorded from RA during singing, at different times during development. Each color denotes a different cell.