BMC Neuroscience

Distinct patterns of gene expression in the medial preoptic area are related to gregarious singing behavior in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

Gregarious song performed in flocks by adult European starlings is a social behavior proposed to indicate positive affect and engender social cohesion within a flock. The medial preoptic area (mPOA) is a brain region known to have a role in the production of gregarious song. However, the underpinning neurochemical systems remain largely unexplored. In this study, the authors used RNA sequencing to characterize patterns of gene expression in the mPOA of male and female starlings singing gregarious song to investigate the pathways potentially involved in its production.