How Birds Sing

The takeaway: Bird song is one of nature’s most beautiful creations–but how exactly do birds make songs? Hint: It’s not how humans sing.

We wake up to it and fall asleep to it. It marks time at picnics and evenings at the campground. It’s there when we jog and when we take the kids to the playground. It’s birdsong–and while we all know it, what many may not know is how it’s made.

The Purposes of Birdsong

Birdsong is a complex vocalization with several important uses that is generally learned as birds grow up. It is different from bird call, which is more flexible in its use and is mostly used to convey basic information such as “follow me” or “danger is near.”

Birdsong, which is often melodious, has a wide variety of key uses:

• Males use it to attract females: Male birds sing to announce their presence and display their fitness in an attempt to attract a mate. For many birds, good singing = good genes.

• Defending their territory: Singing also warns other males to steer clear, and this helps ensure access to resources like food and females.

• Pair bonding: In some species, mates sing together to deepen their relationship.

• Communication: Though calls and chirps do most of the talking for birds, singing can also help birds find each other, learn about danger, and coordinate activities.

Is Birdsong Learned or Inherited?

Birdsong is both a learned and an inherited trait. It is generally believed by ornithologists that birds that sing are born knowing the basics of singing and have the ability to learn species-specific songs, and they learn the details of the songs and refine their singing skills as they develop.

How Do Birds Sing?

Birds have a special voice box at the bottom of their windpipe called the syrinx (and the syrinx then leads to the lungs by bronchi). The syrinx is unique to birds–no other animals have one.

The syrinx holds membranes that vibrate when air passes over them, and birds can control the airflow and tension of those membranes via muscles–this process makes it possible for birds to modulate the pitch and volume of their songs.

Many songbirds have a syrinx with two sides, each with the ability to act independently to produce sound. This allows these birds to sing more complex songs and make two notes simultaneously. Examples of birds with a two-sided syrinx include songbirds, thrushes, and Emperor Penguins. (The Veery, a type of thrush found relatively commonly across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. and much of southern Canada, can even sing a rising melody and falling melody at the same time).

Birdsong Has Regional Dialects

One surprising fact about birdsong is that the same species of birds living in different regions can sing differently–basically, they have an accent.

Regional dialects are learned from parents and neighboring birds and can accumulate variations over generations, which can lead to regional differences. Birds may also adjust their songs to better suit their environments, such as city birds who may sing at a higher tone so they can be heard above the racket of traffic and construction.

Do Birds Ever Learn the Wrong Songs?

Nature abounds with examples of animals who for some reason adopted the traits and behaviors of other animals. Examples include chimpanzees who paint and mallards that eat fish. Some birds, particularly songbirds, can learn the wrong song.

Birds learning the “wrong” song primarily happens when young birds are raised in isolation or in close proximity to birds of different species. When this happens, although the song may resemble the song of a different species, it retains some of the characteristics of the original species’ own songs.

Like humans, birds do a lot of their learning early in life, and during this period they are highly susceptible to learning vocalizations from their environment. However, even if a bird learns the “wrong” song, as the bird matures its singing will refine, and this can lead to a song that is more closely in line with what it “should” be singing.

Hear Birdsong Even When You’re Away

The FeatherSnap smart bird feeder, recently recognized for its educational value, allows you to hear birdsong from your yard or garden even when you aren’t home. Live view allows you to see and hear the action from your feeder as it happens, and crystal-clear audio and video helps you easily associate a bird and its song.

Learn more about the FeatherSnap here.