 Bird song is often characterized by repetition and variation, but it is unclear whether this is due to sexual selection or habituation. In this study, researchers found that both males and females were attracted to songs with higher levels of vocal consistency, suggesting that repetition plays a key role in mate choice. Additionally, males who sang more frequently showed increased vocal consistency, indicating that they had warmed up before singing. This suggests that males have evolved a strategy to increase their chances of mating by warming up before singing, thus increasing the level of vocal consistency. Finally, when males switched from one song type to another, females showed signs of habituation, meaning that they became less interested in the new song. These results suggest that males must strike a balance between repetition and variation in order to maximize their chances of mating. This article was authored by Javier Sierra, Silvino Articorte and Iina Hartley.