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.

Sound Attraction - Car Mufflers!

I came across a really interesting article by Jim Wilson in Popular Mechanics. The big muffler manufacturer, Flowmaster was using scientific research to determine how different muffler sounds affected certain demographic groups. It's sort of the same premise I talk about a lot - that the sound of your voice determines whether someone is attracted to you, or repelled by you in a subliminal sense. So be aware of your voice and how it affects others!

Here's part of the Popular Mechanics article:

"Relaxing Sounds. "Our working hypothesis is that if sound is discordant it would mobilize the right forebrain to make people want to withdraw," he explains, as he pulls wires and glue pads off my hand. "If people are hearing more sound they like, we expect to see more activity in the left forebrain." Work is still in its early stages, but Flugger believes that Flowmaster eventually will use Madill's research to help automakers home in on specific types of muffler systems to appeal to different demographic groups of drivers. There is evidence, for example, that younger drivers like a louder, lower sound with a slight metallic ring and a certain amount of disharmony. On the other hand, more low frequencies give an added sense of confidence, Madill says.

Flugger says that Madill's research will begin to find its way onto the streets in the next several years, initially as Flowmaster conversion kits for popular model cars. Flugger also hopes to begin working with Detroit. "If GM came in with an age group, we can design a muffler that the majority of that group will like," says Madill. "That is where this is headed."