Why and How Birds Sing!

I went to a neat lecture last night on 'How and Why Birds Sing'.  Actually, I was really interested in this topic because physiologically I didn't know how they produced sound.  I discovered that most songbirds have two sets of vocal folds, and can produce discreet sound from either their left or right vocal fold, or both simultaneously!

Songbirds also have the ability to produce sound up to 12000 hertz, beyond a human's hearing range.  They also trill at lightening fast speeds, and have mastered the art of what we would term 'circular breathing'.  They take in tiny, fast breaths in between trills.  Some songbirds breathing in this way can create a continuous call for up to 1 1/2 minutes!

Just as in the bird kingdom, where the males are always the showiest, it's also the males who are the professional singers!  These divos, it seems, sing to attract a mate, and the field sparrow will repeat his song up to 3000 times a day!  Now that's dedication.

Some tropical bird species will sing duets between mating pairs, and although not as vocal as their male counterparts, most female songbirds will occasionally sing.  The female will usually sing only when she has fledglings in the nest, supporting the theory that songbirds must be taught their songs!

Male songbirds also have what is called a 'whisper song' which the cassanova will use when in close contact with his mate!  Sort of like whispering sweet nothings in her ear!

Research has shown that we human females (especially when ovulating!) are more attracted to a lower male voice, and that a lower voice in males is believed to be advantageous in giving the impression of strength and power.  More reason to pay attention to the tone and quality of your voice!  I've always said that the sound of your voice conveys important subliminal messages, and studies back this theory up.

It hasn't been determined what a female bird finds attractive in a male's call since to our human ear all bird calls sound alike.  Evidently, there must be a sonic attraction factor, for it is the call of the male that determines who the female songbird will choose as her mate!

I was again reminded that we 'superior' humans have so much to learn from the animal kingdom.  Even though our voices are miraculous instruments, we are relegated to the lowest rungs of karaoke singers in comparison to our songbird professionals who sing higher, faster and more masterfully than we will ever hope to!  Maybe one day scientists will develop the 'birdbrain' capacity to decipher the secrets of the songbird's call.  Until then, we'll just have to enjoy it on a lovely Spring day.