Ever wonder why birds sing or how they are able to create such beautiful sounds? Read on to discover how and why. One reason we feed wild birds around our homes is that we presume they appreciate a little help from their friends. Another reason is that we simply enjoy having them around.
We like watching their antics, seeing their colors -- and listening to them. Each bird species is capable of making a variety of sounds that it uses to communicate with other birds. These sounds are songs, which usually are long and complex, and calls, which usually are short and simple.
By encouraging birds to our yards, we are more liable to hear all their vocalizations. For the most part, it is the males that "sing" -- a consistently repeated pattern of tones. But in a few species, including Northern cardinals, Baltimore orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks, the female also occasionally breaks into song. Birds generally sing more in the early morning and late afternoon. While singing behavior varies among species, most takes place during the breeding season.
Lags occur during the short mating period and when the young are being cared for. Singing pretty much stops when the nestling period is over. First of all, birds residing in the tropics tend to live longer.
So they stay with their partner longer, often holding territories year-round: a reason more for females to be involved in territory defence too.
The other theory is that here in Africa the seasons could be harder to identify too , especially in the forests, with breeding possible much of the year. Well, maybe, by singing to each other. Good, we have tried to answer why birds sing. Another idea is that the conditions early in the morning, often cool and with lower humidity than the rest of the day, might be particularly good for letting the sounds of the song carry further, even if recent experiments suggest that actually the middle of the day might be the best time to sing if acoustic conditions are present.
This idea starts with the same assumption of the others, which is singing is important and essential, but other activities are important too, like feeding, sleeping, etc. This theory, basically, says that birds are playing a survival game, like any other animal actually. These possibilities have been tested in a series of experiments by Rob Thomas. In an experiment he fed some robins the same amount of food during the day, but some of them have been convinced that there was a regular and constant supply of food throughout the day, others have been persuaded that it was much more variable getting lots of food at one point, but much less later in the day, and then listening to how long they sang that evening or the following morning: more variable gives more song.
And you? First Name. Last Name. Sign up. Do you want to have a great safari in Masai Mara? Do you like to have an itinerant safari from Nairobi? Your email address will not be published. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Young birds first practice begging calls and other attention-getting tones in the nest, but gradually learn to sing by listening to the songs of their parents.
Because of this education, birds in different geographic areas will learn slightly different songs. In different environments, birds even learn to mimic other bird species or non-bird sounds. Birds in the Mimidae family, the mimic thrushes which include the northern mockingbird, even incorporate mechanical sounds such as car honks, cell phones, and construction equipment into their songs.
Singing is not without its dangers. It takes great energy and many calories to produce loud, clear tones, and the sounds can easily attract predators and make the singer more vulnerable. But the benefits birds get from singing, including a prime territory, a healthy mate, and a place to raise their young, are well worth the risk. Birders also benefit, not just from identifying species by their song but simply enjoying the song that greets them whenever they pull out their binoculars.
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