Bird song, like human language, is not innate. Chicks learn to sing by imitating their parents, giving rise to dialects and variants depending on their environment. Sometimes it happens that birds of the same species do not understand each other.
This learning process can take several months, revealing a fascinating story behind the sound of wild birds.
How do wild birds sing?
There is a wide variety of sounds among different bird species, each with unique and specific meanings. The sounds can range from delicately beautiful songs to the most strident, manifesting themselves both solo and as a chorus. The diversity and complexity of these sounds are truly astounding.
When asked the question: ‘How do wild birds sing?’ we will firstly discuss the parts of the body that birds use to sing, secondly we will look at the reasons why they choose a time of day to sing, and finally how they adapt their sounds according to where they are.
Parts of the body that birds use to sing:
- If these birds are in the forest, they will emit long, deep tones to get through the grove.
- Trees and leaves attenuate and scatter the sound, creating echo effects.
- If they are in open fields, birds will use fast, repetitive sounds, which will be heard better, even in spite of wind effects.
Adaptation of sounds according to the place where they are:
- Instead of a larynx and vocal cords, birds have a syrinx at the base of the trachea.
- The syrinx allows two thin membranes to produce sounds.
- The volume of wild birds can reach up to 110 dB.
Reasons why they choose a time of day to sing:
- Si estas aves están en el bosque, emitirán tonos largos y profundos para atravesar la arboleda. Los árboles y las hojas atenúan y dispersan el sonido, creando efectos de eco.
- Si se encuentran en campos abiertos las aves utilizarán sonidos rápidos y repetitivos, los cuáles se escucharan mejor, incluso a pesar de los efectos del viento.
Characteristics of wild bird sound
The following characteristics of wild bird song help them adapt to their environments, communicate effectively and perform their ecological functions. Wild birds possess in their chirping:
- heir chirping:
- Diversity of sounds: songs, calls, chirps and whistles, each with specific functions.
- Song composition: can be simple or complex.
- Pitch: varies from high, high-pitched tones to low, deep tones.
- Duration: can be short (a single trill) or long (extended chants).
- Rhythm: rhythm patterns can be repetitive or paused.
- Intensity of volume: ranges from soft whispering to very loud singing.
- Purpose of song: social communication (attracting mates, marking territory, warning of danger).
- Environment: space influences how sounds are propagated and perceived.
In short, the song of wild birds is much more than just a sound of nature, as they can not only delight us with the diversity of their songs, but also the purpose behind their beautiful song.
