Songbirds

We were eating breakfast while watching a steady stream of birds enjoying their morning meals in our numerous bird feeders. A catbird flew in and I noted that they are great mimics. That’s when my husband posed the question, “What makes a songbird a songbird? Is it just the vocalization?”

“I don’t know”, I replied, “but I’m sure it’s more features than just their delightful songs.” We immediately consulted that modern-day Oracle, the smartphone, to learn more about our vocal visitors. Here are our discoveries.

Songbirds, or oscines, are the largest group of avians on our planet. They are part of an order of birds called Passeriformes. The birds in this order are all perching birds. They have three toes facing forward and one toe facing backward, perfect for grasping branches.

The passerines are divided into three suborders, the largest of which is the passeri or songbird suborder. With over 4,000 species, the songbirds range in size from the 0.19-ounce Golden-crowned Kinglet to the 1.5 to 4.4-pound Common Raven.

Almost all birds have a vocal organ called a syrinx to produce sound. But the songbirds have mastered the use of it. Audubon field editor, Kenn Kaufman, explains, “The oscines have a whole series of really complex muscles attached to the syrinx and it gives them much greater control.”

Songbirds are unique from the other passerine groups because the young birds must be taught their songs by their parents. That’s correct; mom and dad are their tutors, and kids must listen up.

The two main functions of these intricate, learned birdsongs are marking territory and wooing mates. While courting, a male bird may throw in an extra note or two. Females apparently find this riffing especially attractive.

An unusual fact is that songbird songs are constantly evolving in response to various situations. For example, birds in urban environments raise the pitch and volume of their songs to project over the cacophony of the city. Rural birds vocalize at lower frequencies which enables them to add more flourishes and trills to their songs.

Nature is endlessly fascinating… if we stay tuned.

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