"Nature Guide Journal"

16 March 2002

My daughter noticed it first:  a high-pitched, twittering-then-trilling song, sounding something between a melodic squeak and a buzzy whistle, was filling our back yard. A Bewick's wren was singing in the brush.

The increase in birds' singing is one of our favorite indicators of spring.  While we might romanticize the singing as expressions of joy, it's more likely serious business for the birds.

Although virtually all birds communicate by making sounds, passerines (the "song birds") excel at making complicated music.  Bird "songs" are more complex than bird "calls," often having several distinct sections or phrases.

Birds evidently hatch with an innate, rough template of the primary song their species sings.  It appears that hatchlings begin warbly subsongs, the bird equivalent of baby talk, when less than three weeks old.  During the young birds' first spring and summer they hear the songs of the adult male in their home territory and learn the details of their song in the local dialect.  They'll have learned a plastic "rehearsal song" by their first spring as an adult, then will fine tune their "primary song" that will last unchanged through the rest of their lives.

Adult songbirds end up with a suite of songs; in a few species as many as 20.  In addition to the primary song, most males sometimes sing a "secondary song."  The song may change somewhat for those birds that sing through the winter, becoming a "muted song."  A "whisper song" may be sung by males or females when it's dark, quiet, or rainy, or when the bird is uneasy.

Most species sing their primary song from one or more exposed, strategic perches.  Some species add a showy, visible flourish, such as the raised bright shoulders of the red-winged blackbird.

In most North American songbirds it's the male singing the primary song.  In some tropical species of birds, males and females sing in unison or in harmony as part of their courtship.

So, why do birds sing?  Primarily, birds sing to pronounce their species and to define their territory.  "I'm a Bewick's wren and this is my territory!" advertises to interested female Bewick's wrens and wards off competing males.

Most songbirds sing their declarations from daybreak to early- or mid-afternoon, often starting up again at dusk.  During the long days of summer, an individual male may sing his primary song several thousand times a day.

The Bewick's wren we enjoy has invested a great deal in learning and expressing the song that defines his home, lures his mate, and indoctrinates his offspring.

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Visit our other pages on related topics:

birds that visit local feeders

baby birds

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Wavecrest Discoveries can craft your personal discovery of this delightful part of our world by customizing one of our distinctive guided excursions.   Our walks, tours, and special activities are wonderful ways to explore this fascinating region—and are the perfect entertainment for guests.