Written & Illustrated by Marjorie Jensen – Friends of Marion Parks

Why Birds Sing
Birds sing for a variety of reasons. Like humans, they sing to attract a mate or to advertise that a mate is available. Some male birds sing to protect their territory. If another bird enters the occupied territory, it will be instantly challenged – the male will burst into song to ward off the intruder. The female for the most part does not sing; she does not want to be in a vulnerable position as she lays and hatches her eggs.

Sometimes birds call instead of sing. There are a variety of calls, sometimes 20 or more for a single species. Calls are utilized for a variety of reasons, which may include communication with their partner, to beg for food, to keep contact with the flock, to show aggression, or to signal that a predator is near. Parents also can call their young to them when they have scattered or left the nest.

When Birds Sing
Light is very important to birds – it tells them when to migrate and gets them ready for the breeding season. It also stimulates sex hormones, which cause the male to sing to the female and display himself to her. When the light reaches near 12 hours per day, the breeding season begins. However, many birds have started singing earlier to establish their territory.

Birds are less vocal in the winter, but as spring progresses their songs increase as they migrate. When they reach their living territory they are in full sound. In most species, songs are the fullest during the breeding season. After the eggs are laid and hatched, the males in many species help with feeding and care of the young. The males have less time to sing until after the baby birds are mature and leave the nest. The parents then molt and resume their singing.

Nights are usually reserved for owl songs, but there are other birds that also sing at night. These include mockingbirds, yellow-throats, ovenbirds, and, of course, the whippoorwills.

Where Birds Sing
If the purpose for the birds to sing is to attract a mate or to protect a family, then where they sing is also important. If a bird is at the top of a tall tree, his song will carry farther. Birds often sing at a distance from their nest to confuse predators. Black-throated blue warblers sing from deep undergrowth, green warblers sing from the middle boughs, and some warblers sing from the very top of the vegetation. Birds that sing from exposed perches often have shorter songs to protect themselves. Birds often try out different song posts to determine which ones let them have the best view of possible predators. The best song post lets them sing to the widest audience safely.

Identifying Songbirds
To learn to identify bird songs, there are many options to help you. You can go out with a more experienced bird watcher, get a CD which plays the song and tells you the name of the bird, or there are even websites and apps with similar functions that you can take with you on the go.

Bird Song Identification Info:

• Birding By Ear Blog Series - Audubon
• Bird ID Apps
• Bird Song ID CDs
• Identiflyer Device
• Learning Bird Songs & Calls - Cornell Lab of Ornithology