Variations on a theme: Songbirds, variability, and sensorimotor error correction

Highlights • We used manipulations of auditory feedback to probe vocal plasticity in songbirds. • Learning declined as error size increased, suggesting a robust control strategy. • This study exploits the strengths of the song system for examining error correction. • Songbirds and humans share commonalities in vocal production and plasticity. • Songbirds are a powerful animal model for studying motor learning and variability.