Overview

• Budgerigars possess a brain region, the anterior arcopallium (AAC), that functions similarly to human speech-motor areas, enabling complex vocalizations.
• The neural activity in their AAC is organized like a 'vocal keyboard,' allowing precise prediction of sounds from brain signals.
• This discovery marks the first time language-producing centers akin to humans have been identified in a nonhuman species.
• Researchers are collaborating with machine learning experts to decode budgerigar vocalizations and understand their communication.
• The study positions budgerigars as a promising model for advancing treatments for speech disorders such as Autism, Parkinson’s Disease, and aphasia.