Birdsong may sound different from neighboring areas, even birds of the same species.
In addition to the usual differences, birds present regional variations in singing. For example, the chant that sounds like “my toe bleeds Be-tty“, often sung by the wood pigeon, is, in some regions of the United Kingdom“my toe bleeds Ju-li-a“, with an additional syllable at the end of the song.
This type of regional dialects has been observed in several British bird species, including blackbirds and great tits.
According to , one of the most interesting accents comes from the goldfinch, a bird from agricultural areas, which usually sings a song that sounds like “a little bit of bread and no cheese please“.
In the United Kingdom, the goldfinch has two distinct dialectswhich differ in the final “cheese please” part of the song. In the east of England, “cheese” has a lower tone than “please”, and this is reversed in the south and west of England.
Birds sing most intensely about an hour before dawn, when the air is calmest. This makes the sounds travel further, making the singing even 20 times more effective than if it were sung at noon.
It was also observed that some blue tits sang their classic song, which sounds as if they were saying “hello, I’m a little blue tit”. Others sang a more elaborate “hello, I’m a little blue tit, blue tit,” and others limited themselves to just a “hello.”
The Robin was introduced to New Zealand from the United Kingdom in the 1990s. 1860 e 1870. However, unlike what happens in the United Kingdom, New Zealand robins have around seven dialects, despite being originally from the south of England.
These five additional dialects have also been detected in birds across Europe, indicating that New Zealand birds still sing the British dialects of New Zealand. 19th century which, however, have disappeared in the United Kingdom.
Most birds sing only one dialect, learned from their parents or neighbors, resulting in several regional accents. Dialects often overlap, but can dominate certain areas, essentially producing birds with accents. geordie, brummie, cockney e scouse.
Although some species of birds have an innate ability to sing their species’ song, species with more elaborate calls need to learn to sing. Young birds inherit a model to which they add elements by listening to the songs around them.
Birds are also adapting to humans. Consequently, urban birds now sing in a higher tone than rural birds, since the higher-pitched songs propagate better over the low-pitched urban noise.
When you hear a bird singing, it’s easy to assume it’s a male. And, in fact, it is more often the males who sing. Females choose the males with the best singing so that their genes are inherited by their offspring.
The next time you hear a bird singing, try to understand the nuances of its song or tell the difference between birds in urban areas and those in rural areas.
