Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are highly monogamous birds that maintain lifelong pair-bonds. Females make the mate choice based on the quality of males who initiate pair-bond formation by courting the female. A mate separation-reunion paradigm can help to evaluate the adaptive value of social affiliation of male finches and their affinity to new females in absence of mated females which can manifest at a neuronal level by dendritic measures. The aim of this study was to examine behavioural and neuronal changes as a result of social isolation following pair-bonding in male zebra finches. Towards this, male zebra finches from a pair-bonded group were isolated for a period of ten days and then exposed to either the mate or a new female. Four main courtship behaviours: clumping, allopreening, nest box occupancy and directed singing were recorded and analysed. Brains were processed by a modified Golgi technique to detect changes in dendritic arborizations using the Sholl analysis. Baseline behavioural results showed an increase in clumping and nest box activity by day 10. Isolated males re-introduced with their pair-bonded females demonstrated increased nest box activity. Alternatively, isolated males exposed to new females demonstrated increased directed singing when compared to their pair-bonded state, but lower than when exposed to same female. Neuro-morphological changes assessed through quantification of dendritic intersections and branch points were observed in pallial brain areas known to be implicated in the development of social/sexual preferences, with the pair-bonded group demonstrating more branching and longer dendrites when compared to the socially-isolated group. Thus social isolation impacts both courtship behaviour and neuronal morphologies with differential responses to the pair-bonded female versus a new female.

斑马雀（Taeniopygia guttata）是一夫一妻制的鸟类，可以维持终身的双键。雌性根据雄性的质量做出选择，雄性通过向雌性求婚来启动双键形成。伴侣分离-重聚范例可帮助评估雄性雀科的社会归属的适应性价值及其对新雌性的亲和力（如果没有雌性交配，则可以通过树突措施在神经元水平上表现出来）。这项研究的目的是检查成年斑马雀成对键合后由于社交孤立而导致的行为和神经元变化。为此，将一对成对的雄性斑马雀分离了十天，然后暴露于伴侣或新雌性。记录并分析了四个主要的求爱行为：团聚，变态，巢箱占用和定向唱歌。使用改良的高尔基体技术对大脑进行处理，以使用Sholl分析检测树突状乔木的变化。基线行为结果显示，到第10天时，成簇和巢盒活动增加。孤立引入的雄性与雌性成对雌性结合后，巢盒活动增加。另外，暴露于新雌性的孤立雄性与配对状态相比，表现出增加的定向唱歌，但低于暴露于同一雌性中的雄性。在已知与社交/性偏好发展有关的眼睑大脑区域观察到通过树突状交点和分支点定量评估的神经形态学变化，与社会交往相比，成对键组显示出更多的分支和更长的树突。孤立的组。