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Passerine songs have been well studied not only because they are one of the notable examples of sexually selected traits but also because their acquisition process and mechanism have many parallels with those of human language. Both humans and passerines live highly social lives, use vocalization for communication between pairs, family and community members, and most importantly have the ability to acquire acoustic characteristics of their own vocalization through social learning in the early developmental period. Using Estrildid finches, we are trying to understand why complex acoustic and visual communication evolved and how individual development shapes the underling cognitive ability for communication.