Fig. 1.

Major brain areas for vocal learning and singing in zebra finches. Diagram of the songbird brain in the parasagittal plane illustrating the relative positions and connections between the major nuclei of the song control system. Several related nuclei and connections have been removed for clarity. Song nuclei analyzed in the present study are outlined in red. The song system consists of the direct motor pathway (DMP) for song production (nuclei and projections in black), and an anterior forebrain pathway (AFP) for song learning and plasticity (nuclei and projections in white). Dotted rectangles indicate the approximate positions of the photomicrographs presented in the panels in Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Abbreviations: HVC, proper name; RA, robust nucleus of the arcopallium; LMAN, lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium; nXIIts, tracheosyringeal portion of the hypoglossal nerve nucleus; RAm, nucleus retroambigualis; X, striatal Area X; Hyper., hyperpallium; Meso., mesopallium; Nido., nidopallium; Arco., arcopallium. For nomenclature details see [89]