Advancing avian behavioral neuroendocrinology through genomics

• Genome and transcriptome data are rapidly becoming available in avian species.
• Genomics can transform research by allowing study of large sets of genes at once instead one gene at a time.
• Environmental and behavioral signals trigger massive shifts in gene expression in the brain.
• Comparative approaches may help uncover the genetic roots of behavioral variation.

Genome technologies are transforming all areas of biology, including the study of hormones, brain and behavior. Annotated reference genome assemblies are rapidly being produced for many avian species. Here we briefly review the basic concepts and tools used in genomics. We then consider how these are informing the study of avian behavioral neuroendocrinology, focusing in particular on lessons from the study of songbirds. We discuss the impact of having a complete “parts list” for an organism; the transformational potential of studying large sets of genes at once instead one gene at a time; the growing recognition that environmental and behavioral signals trigger massive shifts in gene expression in the brain; and the prospects for using comparative genomics to uncover the genetic roots of behavioral variation. Throughout, we identify promising new directions for bolstering the application of genomic information to further advance the study of avian brain and behavior.