The Singing Life of Birds

Julie has been reading The Singing Life of Birds, by Donald Kroodsma. He is perhaps the world's foremost expert on birdsong, having recorded and analyzed the songs of birds for over 30 years. He not only listens to the songs; he sees them. Sonograms of the songs reveal subtle variations, proving once again that diligent observation of God's creation inevitably increases our sense of wonder. And Kroodsma is clearly a diligent observer. He tells of listening all night to a whip-poor-will, keeping count as it repeated its one song 20,898 times. Most of his field studies were not that tedious--Kroodsma counted 4,654 songs in two hours from a brown thrasher, but during that time the bird sang 1800 different songs.

Are you listening to their repertoire? Did you know that different species of woodpeckers have different patterns to their pecks? That birds generally have regional dialects? That the birds in your backyard are far more creative than you ever imagined?

Check out the recordings and sonograms of birdsongs presented by students of Northeastern State University. Listen for them. May the birds not sing to an empty house.

Bob