Birds are amongst one of the most beautiful creatures in nature. One trait that makes birds unique is the calls they make and the tunes they sing, and we can hear them whether we are walking in parks or on our way to school. Even though bird songs are melodically satisfying to our ears, for the birds themselves, singing plays a vital role in their mating process and territory defense.
Bird Calls and Birdsongs
Bird vocalization can be divided into two main categories: calls and songs. The fundamental difference between them is that bird calls are usually shorter, and simpler vocalizations are used for giving quick signals, such as location or danger to other birds. Whereas birdsongs are longer and consist of more complex structures, primarily sung in courtship or defending territories.
Every bird species has its unique song, which allows them to recognize their kind. Some bird species have smaller repertoires in which they only have one song pattern, while others have larger repertories with more than five song patterns. For cases such as the mimids (mockingbirds, catbirds, thrashers), they can have over 2,000 patterns of songs!
A brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) has over 2,000 song patterns.
Female Birds Sing Too
Although birdsongs are generally associated with male birds, recent studies have shown that 70% of female songbirds, especially tropical species, sing too. In fact, female birdsongs serve the same function as males.
The Syrinx
Birds have a specialized vocal organ located at the base of the trachea called the syrinx. When a bird exhales, the air that comes through their windpipe causes the membrane of the syrinx to vibrate. At the same time, the muscles in the syrinx control the vibrations of the membranes to produce different sounds. Birds with well-developed syrinx can produce more complex sounds and could even mimic how humans talk!
Fun fact: Songbirds (suborder Passeri) can control both left and right passageways of their syrinx independently, which allows them to produce more than one note at the same time. Listen to how a Veery (Catharus fuscescens) sings two melodies at the same time!
Diagram of a bird’s syrinx.
How do birds learn their songs?
The instinct for birds to sing is innate. But just like how humans learn to speak, birds learn how to “sing” through a two-stage process as young fledglings. The first stage is the sensory stage, where the fledgling memorizes a song from their surroundings (can be their parents or neighbors). In the second stage, the motor learning stage, the fledgling starts vocalizing the song from memory by practicing and refining it until they match.
Not all birds sing
Some birds don’t sing mostly because they are non-territorial species. For instance, even though the Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is a songbird, it is labeled as “songless”, because the bird does not need to sing due to its lack of territoriality in its natural habitat. Some bird species with less vocal abilities use other sounds or behaviors. For example, Storks attract mates by clattering their bills rhythmically; Woodpeckers “drum” by pecking against loud objects to communicate with others. Nature is never silent, after all.
The Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) is often labeled as a “songless songbird”.
The songs of birds not only bring joy to our ears but are also great identification tools for us to learn more about the types of birds inhabiting our community. As the mating season approaches, many birds start to sing to their fullest. Try going to a local park to enjoy the wonderful symphony and at the same time, get to know some of your feathery neighbors!
Works Cited
American Bird Conservancy (2014). Veery Song. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtJ14MV64WY [Accessed 31 Mar. 2024].
Celebrate Urban Birds. (2014). Do all birds sing? | Celebrate Urban Birds. [online] Available at: https://celebrateurbanbirds.org/faq/do-all-birds-sing/ [Accessed 31 Mar. 2024].
Nature.com. (2014). The Development of Birdsong | Learn Science at Scitable. [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/the-development-of-birdsong-16133266. [Accessed 31 Mar. 2024].
Ornithology. (2024). Songs and Calls - Ornithology. [online] Available at: https://ornithology.com/ornithology-lectures/songs-calls. [Accessed 31 Mar. 2024].
Rutter, J. (2023). Why Do Birds Sing? Recent Studies Sing a New Tune About Birdsong. [online] American Bird Conservancy. Available at: https://abcbirds.org/birdsong/ [Accessed 31 Mar. 2024].
Wetzel, C. (2021). What Is a Songbird, Exactly? [online] Audubon. Available at: https://www.audubon.org/news/what-songbird-exactly [Accessed 31 Mar. 2024].
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