Before a group of young cowbirds had time to socialize much, West had them stay the winter with a group of canaries. In the spring they were turned loose in an aviary with a mixed group of birds. What happened was weird: the cowbirds sang like canaries, and tried to court canaries. They ignored the other cowbirds! And the canaries ignored their advances. After the mating season–which these birds were really unsuccessful in, by the way–the cowbirds spent the next winter with a group of their own kind. The following spring they were again turned loose with a mixed group of birds, and this time they behaved like cowbirds. They sang cowbird songs, made cowbird moves, and did those things that would increase the cowbird population. What this means is that the cowbirds have to learn how to behave like cowbirds–it doesn’t just come naturally.

【生詞注釋】
socialize v.參與社交; 交際
loose a.自由的
aviary n. 鳥舍

【參考譯文】
在一群年輕的燕八哥有時間去進行社會交往前。西部地區冬天的氣候使它們必須和金絲雀一同熬過冬天。在春天，它們在混合鳥群中十分自由。有件事很奇怪：燕八哥的叫聲像金絲雀一樣，而且盡力去討好金絲雀。它們不搭理其他燕八哥。金絲雀也忽視了燕八哥的發育。配偶季節過后，燕八哥們十分不成功，它們必須和同類一起熬過冬天。下一個春天，在有各種鳥的鳥群眾，它們又自由了，這次它們的行為像燕八哥。它們的鳥叫，動作都和同類一樣，這樣做會增加燕八哥的歡迎度。這也就意味著燕八哥必須學會如何像真正的燕八哥那樣行動——這并不是與生俱來的。