The bird sings to protect its territory and find a couple. In many species of birds, the male must “own” the territory before he can find a girlfriend.
A man declares his territory, sings on it. Usually uses short and simple songs to protect her from her rivals. When a man sings for women, his longer, more complex song shows that he is healthy and full of energy and therefore will become a good father.
In the tropics, females often sing. Many people perform duets with their male partners to strengthen their relationship. Each type of bird has its own variety of songs. And in the same way that people speak with different accents or dialects, some species of birds also develop their own singing, often because populations are separated from each other, for example, by mountains or deserts.
Why do birds sing at different times of the year?
Spring birdsong is especially energetic - an ideal time to attract a partner, because by this time the offspring have hatched, the weather has become warmer, and there is plenty of food around. Local bird species that live in the same place all year round sing in winter to protect their territory. But when the days get longer in early spring, the males begin to sing for “female friends”.
Why do birds sing at dawn?
Why many birds sing more intensely at dawn is what we call the dawn chorus. No one knows for sure, but scientists believe that many of the songs heard at dawn serve as a warning to other males in defense of their territory and their partner.
How do birds sing?
Birds use an organ in their throat called the syrinx to make sounds.This is the equivalent of the larynx or vocal cords in humans. Syrinx contains membranes that vibrate and create sound waves when air from the lungs is inhaled above them.
Syrinx muscles control the sound made by the bird. Unlike our vocal cords, which are located in the upper part of the trachea (respiratory throat), the bird syrinx is located much lower down at the junction of two air tubes (bronchi) that connect to the lungs. Each side of the syrinx is controlled separately. This allows birds to make a wider variety of sounds than we humans, even two sounds simultaneously.
Although other birds may make short, simple sounds — usually to raise the alarm or simply keep in touch with other members of the flock — songbirds (most of the roosting birds) have extra muscle in their vocal cords. This allows them to create complex patterns of notes that we call songs. Young songbirds learn to sing from their parents and other adults.
Bird sounds
Some songbirds, including the cat's mockingbird, can mimic other animals or sounds: frogs, cats, and even car alarms. It is believed that the lyrebird from Australia is the best copycat in the world of birds. It can not only imitate several other birds, it can also imitate the click of the shutter of the camera, the car engine and the loud noise of the chainsaw.
In some bird species, the female may join the male in singing to protect their joint territory. This is called a duet.The duo is especially common among birds who need to maintain contact in dense and noisy rainforests.
The nightingale song is especially noticeable at night, because at that time few other birds sing. His songs are one of the most beautiful sounds in nature, inspiring many to poetry. Nightingales sing only males.
