Bird vocalization
As birdsong is in the German language, the acoustic communication of birds, in particular referred to the songbirds. The sound is generated by a birds mostly in the vocal head.
Behavioral biology
The birdsong is a complex behavioral performance. Birds sing, among other things for attracting partners and to mark their territory. Females obtained by reference to performance and health status of an applicant.
The song of many songbirds is built like a disaster and often very varied. Even House Sparrow or House Martin have more than one stanza type. The singing of songbirds ( Passeriformes ) is not innate in comparison to other birds ( Nonpasseriformes ), but must be learned. A predisposition for specific songs is available, however, so that this can lead to unique perception of a singing conspecific to success in learning the few times. For the learning of birdsong there are species-specific learning phases (time window ) that an embossing mechanism operate similarly. They are for male usually experienced in the first season in which the fellows begin to sing. Isolated growing up male songbirds sing well, but often with significantly altered patterns. Differences in vocal behavior can be made visible with sound equipment and oscillographic compare.
Complex birdsongs provide the songbirds. Among the native birds such as the nightingale has a very complex song. The reasons why some species sing very complex, while others are rather trivial, are not fully understood. But songbirds show a more pronounced territorial behavior, the singing talented they are, that is the vocal talent is correlated with the intensity of territorial defense. Under the musical aspects would thus be understood why singing birds with complex songs ( Blackbird, Song Thrush, Nightingale, Robin, etc.) behave as a soloist and aggressive towards conspecifics, while songbirds with simply structured songs ( House Sparrow, House Martin, etc.) are sociable and friendly. This solo performance singing talented songbirds is also evident during the migration period, as songbirds with complex songs draw consistently individually or in very small groups and usually at night.
People and birdsong
Birdsong is often perceived by people as mellifluous and pleasant. He was processed much in art and culture and provides role models for instruments and tone poems dar. used to go often assume that birds of enjoyment of life or for the edification of environmental sing. The true meaning of birdsong was only uncovered by behavioral biology: it was Bernard Altum, who in his book The Bird and his life (1868 ) first a theory to area formation in birds and their territorial behavior put forward and it also took into account the function of birdsong.
Singing birds are kept in cages of different cultures around the world. Some species sing in captivity very strong and to exhaustion, especially if they will receive no contact with fellow males or kept together with other singing birds, against their vicinity they want to distance themselves. In Europe, the isolation attitude is no longer used today, but it is widely used around the world. At the historical bird market of Beijing every day thousands of singing birds in cages are offered for sale. Similar markets exist throughout Asia, South America and many other countries. Singing birds are a popular means of entertainment.
The singing behavior of birds can be affected by certain housing conditions and various food additives.
In some songs, birdsong is imitated. For this recorder heads or special bird call whistles are used. As a children's toy that Gaumenpfeiferl imitation of birdsong is very popular.
The work of French composer Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) is strongly influenced by birdsong. Messiaen drew on world travel bird calls and used these in piano works, orchestral works and his opera Saint François d' Assise.