Why do birds sing?

Flynn_17

Because they have mouths like sailors. Mar 20 05, 1:26 PM

kaylofgorons

Because they can. Also, I'm sure it has something to do with mating in certain species. But when it's not mating season? I don't know, maybe they like the sound of their own voices... TAW will know, or he'll find out. He's good at that! :) Mar 20 05, 1:29 PM

Baloo55th

It's mainly territorial. The males (in most species that sing) set up a territory in which they can get food. The size varies according to both species and available food. The singing is done at certain points around the territory to advertise the fact that this feller has a good living here and that he's available, and also to tell all those other losers to go away (putting it politely). The females then select from the males with territories. This provides them with the chance of rearing their offspring successfully. I'm quite sure no such actual thoughts go through their feathery little heads, but that's the general effect. Not all birds are territorial as individuals - rooks, for example, are notoriously gregarious. And sometimes the territory consists of a square foot of pebbled beach - feeding space is the ocean. Mostly it is the males that sing. An exception is the mallard, where the female is noisier than the male (hardly singing, but then again...). It gets more complicated than this, but this is the basis of it. Mar 20 05, 2:08 PM

picqero

Baloo is quite correct, and you shouldn't confuse the calls of birds, however 'melodious' they may sound with singing as practiced by humans for pleasure, praise, etc. Mar 20 05, 3:21 PM

TheAlphaWolf

I think they do sing for pleasure (from watching my birds. They'll be really excited and suddenly make their equivalent of singing... which is more like a horrible screech but don't tell them that LOL) This isn't really singing but they also make noises for communication amongst themselves (as in flocks and stuff)... and probably other things. it's been proven that many times humans think one song is the same but it can actually be quite a few of them that just sound alike to us. Mar 20 05, 5:51 PM

Baloo55th

The robin in my garden has a very loud territorial song, but a very quiet almost closed beak one when perched near me. Haven't decided yet whether it means 'stir up the insects' or 'go and get some bread'. Mar 20 05, 6:06 PM

gmackematix

As half the known bird species are songbirds there are bound to be a variety of reasons. As for the caged bird? I hear Maya Angelou knows. http://www.woodstores.com/whybirdssing.html Mar 20 05, 9:00 PM