Turn Up The Tunes:

How Songbirds Sing

Courtesy Northsong Wild Bird Rehabilitation

Have you ever wondered why some birds sing? Their songs can range from short and high-pitched tones, to long intricate blends of melodies. Birds sing for a variety of reasons, but the “how” of their song requires both a unique explanation and organ present in birds alone.

When humans speak, we rely on a body part in the throat called the larynx to generate the sound that our voice makes. Our larynx has folds of tissue known as our vocal cords that are responsible for our speaking, yelling, singing and more. Say something out loud, maybe a simple “Hello,” or your name; the sound you hear is because you have vocal folds in your larynx.

Sometimes, our larynx can become injured or inflamed (like from a cold) and we may “lose our voice,” encouraging us to utilize other forms of nonverbal communication.

Songbirds have a unique organ that we don’t have called a syrinx. The syrinx is basically a voice box for songbirds - it is responsible for chirping, singing, and creating beautiful, complex tunes. The syrinx is located in a bird’s neck close to where the trachea or windpipe splits up and goes to the lungs. Researchers suspect that the syrinx evolved overtime and eventually took over producing sounds in birds. It is an amazing organ, having the capability to hit more notes than a piano keyboard has in 0.1 seconds. Similarly fascinating, the syrinx allows birds to sing two notes at once, something humans can rarely do. Remember, if you hear a bird singing, it is using its syrinx!

Why do birds sing? There are a variety of reasons for a bird to get its syrinx going including finding mates, protecting territories, and sometimes just to show off. Many of the sounds a songbird makes can be categorized into a call or a song. Calls are often short, simpler sounds, whereas songs are more complex and structured. Not all songbirds are born knowing their songs either; as they age, they will learn and practice songs they hear from adults. Some species can even learn to mimic sounds such as cellphones, car alarms, or the neighborhood cat! Next time you are outside, spend a few minutes listening to the sounds of birds near you. If you focus, you can often categorize them as calls or songs; eventually you can even learn to identify a songbird species by its sound alone!