Urbanization is rapidly transforming natural habitats and poses growing challenges for wildlife. One lesser-known consequence is its potential impact on bird song, which plays a crucial role in communication, reproduction, and survival. In a new study examining 65 European songbird species, researchers found that birds living in more urbanized environments tended to use a wider range of dominant frequencies in their songs. However, clear changes in dominant song frequency were detected only in some species. These findings suggest that urbanization does not universally alter bird song, but both changes and the absence of adaptation may still have important consequences for birds living in noisy cities. The researchers emphasize the need for further studies and for urban planning measures that help maintain suitable habitats for diverse bird communities.
The study explored how urbanization influences bird vocalizations across and within species, an area that remains relatively understudied despite its importance for bird fitness and population health. As cities continue to expand, understanding how wildlife responds to urban environments becomes increasingly important. Using a phylogenetic comparative approach, the researchers analyzed vocal differences linked to urbanization in 65 European passerine species. The xeno-canto database was used to obtain vocalizations from these species throughout Europe. The researchers also examined whether factors such as social behavior, migration patterns, vocal complexity, and the species’ frequency of occurrence in cities were related to these vocal changes.
The results showed that species living in more urbanized habitats generally exhibited a broader dominant frequency range in their songs. This may suggest that birds living in cities are able to widen their frequency range and so avoid masking from different noise sources. However, urbanization-related shifts in dominant frequency itself appeared only in certain species (e.g. the robin, the European serin and the hooded crow), rather than representing a universal pattern. Unexpectedly, species for which song change in cities was previously found, such as the great tit or the European blackbird, did not alter their songs along an urbanization gradient according to the present study. This negative result highlights the need for studying the effect of urbanization on bigger spatial scales and across species. In addition, none of the investigated species traits explained the observed differences in song characteristics, and a species’ occurrence in urban areas was not associated with its vocal traits or song flexibility.
- Overall, the findings suggest that urbanization does not impose a single, general effect on bird song frequency and that vocalization differences alone are unlikely to determine whether a species can successfully inhabit cities – says Mónika Jablonszky , one of the authors. Nevertheless, the researchers caution that both song adaptation and the lack of adaptation in noisy urban environments may affect birds at both the individual and population levels. They therefore highlight the importance of continued research and conservation efforts aimed at preserving and creating bird-friendly habitats in urbanized areas.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
Data/statistical analysis
Animals
Urbanization-related vocal variation in passerines: a comparative study
20-May-2026
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.