My Science School

For many, birdsongs are pleasurable to listen to. Of course, we know they are not singing for us. But did you know that birdsongs serve many purposes, and if the songs vanish, so could the birds?

Why do birds sing?

Many species of birds sing, while others have just calls - but both are primarily important tools of communication. It is said that within the species that sing, it is mostly the males that sing. However, in certain species both the males and the females sing. Among the most common reasons for birds (especially the males) to sing is to announce their territory. It is a warning to any other male that could set its eyes on this already-taken territory. Another reason is to attract mates. Several aspects of the song - such as the tempo, the length, the pitch, etc. - will help the female decide if the male is the right one for her. After having won the female over, the male continues to sing for her, as part of the courtship ritual. Interestingly, a few ornithologists have suggested that some birds may sing now and then just for pleasure. But it is believed that detailed research is required to understand emotions as experienced by the birds.

How do they learn the songs?

Apparently, adult birds train younger birds in singing. And so, the younger ones are heavily dependent on the adults for their repertoire, and when they do not have proper teachers, it could affect them. Here's an example. According to a recent study, Australia's critically endangered "regent honeyeaters born in captivity have different songs that could reduce their attractiveness to wild birds". The species was once abundant but only a few hundred birds are said to remain in the wild today as a result of habitat loss, and are distributed sparsely. Which means the number of music teachers in any given area has declined too, leaving many young ones without proper lessons or variety. And this is bad news because without great songs or variety, they cannot attract females. In a few cases, some birds have learnt the songs of other species. Eventually, without mates, the species, whose numbers are already declining, could eventually go extinct, the study found.

Picture Credit : Google