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are very different from the short and more high-pitched “tseet” or “chink” calls they make. These are largely invariable and apparently designed to convey information, to warn of dangers or contact each other when feeding or moving about.
A new book by Donald Kroodsma called “The Singing Life of Birds” answers some of the obvious questions we have about bird sounds. Why do birds sing? What sounds are learned? How do they learn their songs and from whom? What sounds are innate (genetic)? What do the various calls signify?
Kroodsma says that for most songbirds the short calls are innate and the melodic songs are largely learned. So bird songs are equivalent to learned human language, with dialects that vary geographically. Calls are equivalent to more fundamental vocalizations common to all cultures.
For unknown reasons songbirds and a few other groups (parrots and certain hummingbirds) are unique in having learned songs. Other
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