Why Do Birds Sing?

Do birds only sing to find a mate and defend their territory as the scientists claim, or do they sing for the pure pleasure of making music as well as the author of this new book claims?

Read the material and watch the video and decide for yourself.

There are several interesting links at the source page.

SOURCE

In How Music Works, David Byrne cites some scientifically controversial theories suggesting that music is a spontaneous rather than adaptive phenomenon and birds sing simply because they enjoy singing. At the front lines of the joy theory of bird song is new-age philosopher and jazz musician David Rothenberg, who argues that bird song has the formal properties of music and, just like human music, is motivated by pleasure

Why shouldn’t they be singing for pleasure? Who are we to assume that this kind of animal doesn’t experience joy?

Whether or not your fully subscribe to Rothenberg’s theories, his book comes with a twelve-track music compilation, which alone is more than worth it — a mesmerizing mashup of natural birdsong and virtuosic instrumentation.

Do you want to hear more? There are six parts to the video and the one above is number 1

Why do birds sing Pt #2

Why do birds sing Pt #3

Why do birds sing Pt #4

Why do birds sing Pt #5

Why do birds sing Pt #6

reply to post by happykat39


Birds invented music.

No need to say anything further.

reply to post by happykat39


Not looking into much of anything, yet just thinking about the general topic...

I would say that music doesnt exist as 'music'... but that 'music' is only the controlled use of sound for purposes of communication...

I would think that birds use their sounds as signals or communications ( as dolphins may, and dogs may bark, and mice may squeak)

so in my own conclusive thoughts... Birds could certainly use their sounds to communicate, attract attention, let other birds know where they are... and it is also possible a bird by itself may make a sound, just for the heck of it

I don´t want to derail the thread, but I thought it was kinda funny that this was posted as I too thought about something about bird the other day. They say bird developed wing because of the dangers of predators on the ground. But then, why havn´t all animals on the planet developed wings? We all have to worry about predators on the ground, not humans anymoren, but in the cradle of human history we certinley had to.

And yes I belive in evolution.

Why do dogs bark?

Why does anything in nature make noise?

It is all about social behaviour, alarm calls and to attract a mate. It is incidental that some bird song is attractive and appealing to the human ear.

Bird "song" can also be annoying too, as anyone who has house martins nesting in the eaves by their bedroom would attest. I would not have it any other way!

Regards

Originally posted by Nettlas
I don´t want to derail the thread, but I thought it was kinda funny that this was posted as I too thought about something about bird the other day. They say bird developed wing because of the dangers of predators on the ground. But then, why havn´t all animals on the planet developed wings? We all have to worry about predators on the ground, not humans anymoren, but in the cradle of human history we certinley had to.

And yes I belive in evolution.

Do you think insects developed wings before birds? yet not all insects have wings..

my guess to your proposition; there were species on earth (many many) that were living, adapting, thriving, dying... the specie that adapted into the bird, did so because it was more advantageous to do so, then living in the way it was... ( imagining the steps involved in growing wings over generations is quite bizarre...i know gradual and incremental, but imagine the first winged bird taking the leap of faith)

reply to post by happykat39

Nature sings, not just birds. Wind in the pines, a gurgling brook, surf at the seashore. All critters sing: Whale song, Gibbons, frogs, crickets, whatever. And they all do it for the exact same reasons we do.

In fact, in some cases they are much better at it than we are.

We humans have one up though... we make instruments.

Why do fools fall in love?

reply to post by happykat39


I think one of the reasons for birds singing...is to cheer up humanity. Every spring I open my windows to the courtyard and listen to their sweet songs. It cheers me right up and I feel so relaxed too.

The singing of birds is one of natures gifts to us.

reply to post by happykat39


cause they cant talk

Originally posted by eyeinoz
reply to post by happykat39

 

cause they cant talk

And hummingbirds hum because they don't know the words.

Originally posted by caladonea
reply to post by happykat39

 

I think one of the reasons for birds singing...is to cheer up humanity. Every spring I open my windows to the courtyard and listen to their sweet songs. It cheers me right up and I feel so relaxed too.

The singing of birds is one of natures gifts to us.

That is one of the best reasons i've heard.
It's always better working outside when the birds are singing. I feel much happier and more relaxed too.

I remember this one morning when I was working alone. There was a bird in a tree beside me, who was singing away and I began whistling along to it's tune. It paused for a moment, and then let out a short whistle, so I whistled again and we began singing this tune together, taking turns whistling and it was great!
When it was over and the bird flew off, I couldn't believe it happened! For the rest of the day, I was in one of the best moods i've ever been in.

I don´t want to derail the thread, but I thought it was kinda funny that this was posted as I too thought about something about bird the other day.

Now that is interesting, because that's the same reason I'm posting in this thread. I was trying to imitate a bird whistling in my back yard, and I got curious about weather birds are actually whistling or if it's more similar to how our vocal chords work.

I learned birds have 2 brachii (i think the tubes which feed air to the lungs) and many can make 2 distinct notes at the same time. Fascinating stuff.

They aren't "singing", they are talking.

Just in a different language.

They sing in Heaven as well.

The difference there is that you understand what they are saying.

reply to post by ImaFungi


Well, there was at no time a creature that woke up one day or was born one day and had fully developed wings. Who suddenly decided to leap from a tree or off a cliff, with a leap of faith, and flew.

There are a number of animals today that have developed flight, but do not have wings.


That guy can 'fly' but has no wings or feathers..

as for why they sing, why are they also varied in many beautiful colours? Or as mundane as a rolled up newspaper.

Maybe they do enjoy singing. But I do not think they sing for pleasure.

I remember an experiment I saw once, where a certain bird had a certain intricate song. They wanted to learn if the song was learnt or instinctive so they took some of these birds and separated them from birth. What the bird did, without any other birds to sing with, was develop a rambling noise. Each new generation of the bird adapted some of it, and eventually they had a completely new song that an entire generation of birds all knew. As if they were talking to each other but it was completely different to the song they had in the wild.

Might be they all decided that the radio sounded funny but they still learnt to sing along with each other... who really knows, but it serves a communal purpose for a species at least we know.

I read somewhere many years ago that "Birds sing in the spring." Meaning, birds sing the spring into being -- the vibrations of the songs actually help bring spring into existence. I felt it was a beautiful thought - and I remember it every late February/early March when the birds start to really go at it outside my window each morning -- singing away.

It was such a lovely way to look at the world - as if it is all a symphony, all vibrational, all interdependent and of course, "one song" (universe).

Love birds -- even the crows and jays, even those darn woodpecker types that are banging away on my wooden deck looking for bugs. Last year, we had a nest of robins right outside our sliding doors -- such a wonderful sight.

reply to post by Galadriel


What a lovely thought. That made my day. Thank you.

Communication
I have an owl that hoots outside my window on certain nights
Pretty cool

I don't see why pleasure and evolution are excluding each other. If birds have a higher chance to spread their genes when they sing, pleasure can very well be a "vessel" of evoltion that makes the bird sing. But in that sense, you can as well say that flies enjoy sitting on a piece of sh!t. Only difference is that that does not relate to what we call pleasure.

reply to post by 9number9


they invented planes too.