 |
|
Bird calls may have meaning
November 09, 2005A deep-voiced black-capped chickadee may wonder why other birds ignore it, but there may be a good reason behind the snub, says a University of Alberta study that looked into how the bird responds to calls.
Dr. Isabelle Charrier and Dr. Chris Sturdy modified the black- capped chickadee calls, played those sounds back to the bird and observed how they reacted. They found that the chickadee relies on several acoustic features including pitch, order of the notes and rhythm of the call. They also rejected the calls of the control bird, the gray-crowned rosy finch, in favour of their own species. This research is published in the current edition of the journal, "Behavioural Processes."
The chickadees two most well-known vocalizations are the "chick-a-dee" call and the "fee-bee" song. The song is produced mainly by males and is used to attract a mate and to defend a territory during the breeding season. The learned call is produced by both sexes throughout the year and is believed to serve a variety of functions such as raising mild alarm, maintaining contact between mates and co-ordinating flock activities. They even go through stages of learning this "language," which explains why juvenile birds can be heard frantically practicing to perfect the call.
In this study, the team-Charrier was a post-doctoral fellow in Sturdy's lab but has since returned to France-discovered that if they raise the pitch, the bird would still respond, but if they lowered it, the chickadee stopped answering. "We speculate that this happens because the pitch may be related to size, so the chickadee thinks, 'wow, that bird sounds big,' and they stay away from it," says Sturdy, from the Faculty of Science. "The first thing birds use to identify vocalizations is the frequency range. Different birds use different acoustic ranges as a filter, so if it is too high or too low, they ignore it."
When the scientists switched around the order of the notes in the sound, the birds didn't respond to those calls. When the space between the sounds increased-there was no different when they decreased-the chickadees stopped responding. "These changes are so slight to our ears that we wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but a chickadee can," said Sturdy, who adds that the way chickadees learn vocalizations is parallel to the way humans learn language. "This research shows that there is a functional aspect to these calls. Some note types may be tied to food gathering or trying to get birds around a feeder and this is laying the foundation for decoding these sounds on a fine scale."
Sturdy said this research will help learn in which social context black-capped chickadees will be more sensitive to a particular type of calls.
University of Alberta
In this study, the team-Charrier was a post-doctoral fellow in Sturdy's lab but has since returned to France-discovered that if they raise the pitch, the bird would still respond, but if they lowered it, the chickadee stopped answering. "We speculate that this happens because the pitch may be related to size, so the chickadee thinks, 'wow, that bird sounds big,' and they stay away from it," says Sturdy, from the Faculty of Science. "The first thing birds use to identify vocalizations is the frequency range. Different birds use different acoustic ranges as a filter, so if it is too high or too low, they ignore it."
When the scientists switched around the order of the notes in the sound, the birds didn't respond to those calls. When the space between the sounds increased-there was no different when they decreased-the chickadees stopped responding. "These changes are so slight to our ears that we wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but a chickadee can," said Sturdy, who adds that the way chickadees learn vocalizations is parallel to the way humans learn language. "This research shows that there is a functional aspect to these calls. Some note types may be tied to food gathering or trying to get birds around a feeder and this is laying the foundation for decoding these sounds on a fine scale."
Sturdy said this research will help learn in which social context black-capped chickadees will be more sensitive to a particular type of calls.
University of Alberta
More Bird Calls Current Events and Bird Calls News Articles
 |
Audubon Bird Call by American Bird Products Audubon bird call with rosin. When twisted, this remarkable birchwood and metal instrument makes a variety of sounds similar to wild birds. Each bird call is handmade and individually tuned. Be sure to keep the instrument dry; a small amount of the included powdered rosin, used occasionally, will renew the bird call's voice. Total length approximately 2.5" x 0.75" wide. |
 |
Birds Calls (Play the Sounds, Pull the Tabs) by Frank Gallo (Author), Lohstoeter (Author), Lori Lohstoeter (Illustrator) In nature, we often hear the sound of a bird or an animal before we can see it. Our new Hear and There Books have the same effect. After reading a short riddle, children are asked "What am I?" By pushing a color-coded button on the sound strip, they can hear the call of the bird or the animal. When they pull the tab on the right page, the animal is revealed. To find out more about the featured bird or animal, readers can lift the flap on the left-hand page for more detailed information on its habitat, its young, and its behavior. Written by a professional naturalist, these books are beautifully illustrated, fun to listen to, and filled with interesting facts! Have you ever wondered what a certain sound was outside your window at night? As children play the calls of these... |
 |
Quality Bird Call Whistle with Rosin (price is for one pair of bird calls). Toysmith by Bird Call SPECIAL OFFER: "PRICE IS FOR 2 INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED BIRD CALLS". That way you can keep one for yourself and give one away as a gift! Attract your feathered friends! Twist the brass and wooden parts of this 2" bird call and watch the birds respond to the sounds it creates. This bird call comes with rosin. When twisted, this remarkable birchwood and metal instrument makes a variety of sounds similar to wild birds. Each bird call is handmade and individually tuned. Be sure to keep the instrument dry; a small amount of the included powdered rosin, used occasionally, will renew the bird call's voice. Size: 2" x 0.5" wide. |
 |
Bird Call (One individual bird call) by Toysmith Attract your feathered friends! Twist the brass and wooden parts of this 2" bird call and watch the birds respond to the sounds it creates. This bird call comes with rosin. When twisted, this remarkable birchwood and metal instrument makes a variety of sounds similar to wild birds. Each bird call is handmade and individually tuned. Be sure to keep the instrument dry; a small amount of the included powdered rosin, used occasionally, will renew the bird call's voice. Size: 2" x 0.5" wide. |
 |
A Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides) by Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (Author), Roger Tory Peterson (Editor) A Field Guide to Bird Songs is the best-selling collection of bird songs ever recorded. It includes the songs and calls of 267 species - all the most common and vocal birds found east of the Rockies. Organized as a companion to Roger Tory Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern and Central North America, fifth edition, this is the "birder's bible" of bird song. |
 |
Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song by Les Beletsky (Author), Jon L. Dunn (Foreword) Drawing from the collection of the world-renowned Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Songs presents the most notable North American birds—including the rediscovered Ivory-billed Woodpecker—in a stunning new format. Renowned bird biologist Les Beletsky provides a succinct description of each of the 250 birds profiled, with an emphasis on their distinctive songs. Lavish full-color illustrations accompany each account, while a sleek, built-in digital audio player holds 250 corresponding songs and calls. In his foreword, North American bird expert and distinguished natural historian Jon L. Dunn shares insights gained from a lifetime of passionate study. Complete with the most up-to-date and scientifically accurate information, Bird Songs is the first book to capture... |
 |
Wood and Brass Bird Call by Toy Smith by Toysmith Twist the brass and wood parts of this 2 call and listen to the sounds you can create. By holding the wood part in one hand and the brass part in the other, twist the two parts together. The squeaking sound produced attracts the curiosity and attention of birds. |
 |
Basic Beat Quack Stick by Basic Beat Just plain silly is what this Quack Stick is. Shake the handle for a silly duck quack sound. Ages 3 years and older. |
 |
The Backyard Birdsong Guide: Eastern and Central North America (Backyard Birdsong Guides) by Donald Kroodsma (Author) Get to know birds by ear with this engaging, one-of-a-kind book. Discover seventy-five unique species from Eastern and Central North America as you enjoy their sounds at the touch of a button-reproduced in high quality on the attached digital audio module-while reading vivid descriptions of their songs, calls, and related behaviors. Learn what Black-capped Chickadees are thinking as they give their unmistakable namesake call, or find out why many songbirds have dialects that vary from region to region. Complete with up-to-date range maps and more than 130 sounds provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's world-renowned Macaulay Library, as well as exquisite illustrations of each species, The Backyard Birdsong Guide will resonate with beginners and experts alike. |
 |
Pet Media Birchwood-and-Metal Original Audubon Bird Call by Pet Media Attracts birds of all types! Birchwood and metal construction will last a lifetime. Each bird call is handmade and individually tuned. Easy to use: just twist the metal fitting in the wooden capsule. Makes a variety of sounds similar to wild birds. Strong construction. Small enough to fit in your pocket, wear around your neck or fasten on a keychain. Comes with rosin which should be used occasionally to renew the call's voice. Available for the first time in the pet industry! Kids love it! |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |