Language, traditionally thought of as solely belonging to humans, actually has a counterpart in the animal kingdom. Surprisingly, birds, rather than primates, possess a complexity and variability in vocal communication that comes closest to our own. Ornithologists have made significant strides in understanding the diverse ways birds converse, thanks to vast databases of bird calls, such as the one maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which holds millions of recordings from citizen scientists.
This summer, The New York Times birding project is encouraging readers to explore the world of birding through sound. So, let’s embark on a fascinating journey through the avian soundscape.
Each bird species has its own distinctive repertoire of sounds. Take the black-capped chickadee, for instance, a year-round visitor to the northern United States and southern Canada. Birdsongs, more intricate compared to bird calls, often comprise multiple notes and follow discernible patterns. Furthermore, many songbirds learn their songs; they are not inherently born with this knowledge. Ornithologists refer to this learning process as a form of cultural evolution, drawing parallels to human language. Karina Sanchez, an expert on avian communication at the University of New Hampshire, asserts these similarities.
Thanks to recordings captured by citizen scientists, researchers have discovered regional dialects within bird species. Subtle changes that have gradually become dominant across populations over the years have also been documented. As an example, we have a delightful song from the great thrush, a commonly found bird in the highlands of northwest South America.
While some birds attract mates through species-specific songs, others employ a broad range of sounds, including borrowed melodies from different species. The brown thrasher, found in eastern North America and parts of southern Canada, boasts one of the largest repertoires in North America, with over 1,000 songs. However, avian mimicry extends beyond imitating other birds. Certain birds have been observed imitating the calls of wallabies, humans, and even machines.
To delve deeper into the world of bird calls and songs around you, we recommend utilizing the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s free Merlin Bird ID app. The New York Times strongly encourages readers to participate in its summer birding project by using this valuable resource.
Additionally, The New York Times will be hosting a day of live journalism at the Climate Forward event in New York City on September 21. We encourage you to find out more about this event.
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