Song Birds

There are lots of Song Birds (let us refer this way to birds having certain vocal characteristics) throughout the world, and people appear to be showing  a growing interest toward various bird-related activities, such as bird watching, bird feeding, etc. What we usually refer to as a “bird song” are chirruping, quacking, twittering, chirping or other vocal characteristics that sound melodic in a way.

In the avian world, bird songs have their own meaning. Birds use different “chords” and “arpeggios” under different circumstances and in different periods. Song Birds tend to be particularly vocal during mating seasons, as they use their mellifluous (some birds sound less mellifluous) voices to attract the opposite sex. Some birds have no voice at all and produce sounds by mechanical means. For instance, stork can give loud clatters by aid of their long and strong beaks, and hummingbirds produce characteristic “humming” noise by rapidly flapping their wings.

Male Song Birds tend to be more vocal than females. Before making themselves audible for their potential mates, they occupy elevated positions, using high and long tree limbs. Although mating is one of the main reasons why birds sing, this is far not the only one. Birds have quite a complicated language, which they use under various circumstances. As they tend to form communities, they warn each other about approaching predators by issuing loud and sharp calls. Competing males, when defending their territories, also take to their voice to ward off potential rivals.

Bird sounds are produced with the help of syrinx – a bony formation in the lower part of trachea and the membranes that resonate as air passes through the trachea. Different birds have different vowel characteristics, and their anatomy is a decisive factor in sound formation. The type of bird song greatly depends on the bird’s size, length of trachea and physical qualities of the syrinx. There are as many bird songs in the world as there are bird species. However, bird songs do not tend to differ much within a particular species, and hence we can define a bird species by ear, without seeing one. Today, there are lots of advanced tools of bird song research, using a wide range of innovative methods, such as acoustic spectroscopy. Therefore, Song Birds are increasingly popular both among avian scientists and amateur bird watchers.