Why Do Birds Sing?
Birdsong can be heard almost everywhere and is an essential part of the atmosphere in spring and summer. Each bird species sings in its own way, and bird enthusiasts can often identify the species based on its song. While birdsong is pleasant to listen to, birds do not sing for our enjoyment, nor solely for their own.
Birdsong plays an important role in the lives of birds. In most species, the singers are males, although in some species females can also sing. Males use their songs to announce their territory and abilities to other males and to attract females. A skilled song indicates good physical condition. Some birds also learn to mimic other species and even surprising environmental sounds to diversify their singing. Females often choose the best singer as their mate, which is why singing abilities continue to develop from generation to generation.
Singing consumes energy and takes time away from other activities such as foraging. Therefore, birds tend to sing when their song carries best. Singing in rain or strong wind is pointless. The optimal conditions are often early in the morning. It has also been observed that birds nesting in noisy areas must sing louder than those in quieter places.
However, much about birdsong is still unknown. The “language” of birds is largely a mystery to humans. Like human speech, birdsong contains geographical variations — dialects. These dialects can be used to study migration routes. Today, birds can even be identified at the individual level based on the sound profile of their song, avoiding the need to capture them for band-reading.
TIP: You can practice identifying birds by their songs. For example, you can record a bird singing with your phone and try to determine the species afterwards.