Early-life stress affects the behavioural and neural response of female song sparrows to conspecific song

► We determined the effects of early-life stress on the brain and behaviour of female song sparrows. ► Early-life stress did not affect the behavioural response to high-complexity vs low-complexity songs. ► Females receiving early-life stress showed less selective behavioural responses to conspecific vs heterospecific song. ► This response was paralleled by differential induction of the immediate early gene Zenk in auditory forebrain regions.