What’s the difference between bird songs and bird calls?
by Jules Evens Q: What’s the difference between bird songs and bird calls? [L.R., Santa Clara A: Bird song, usually produced by the male, is an advertisement of territory and breeding availability, and, in most species, is limited to the breeding season. As in other animals, song serves to stimulate and synchronize sexual behavior (seduction), and to proclaim vigor and dominance. Some species—such as the northern mockingbird (we don’t call him polyglottus for nothing) and marsh wren—are inveterate blabber-mouths, babbling all year long. But most species conserve their songs for only those times that count. Some types of birds sing more than others; vultures are virtually mute, whereas vireos tend to sing continually during the breeding season. Some guy named DeKirline claims to have counted 22,197 repetitions by a red-eyed vireo of its song in a single day. Bird calls tend to be unmusical, acoustically simpler, and less complex than the proclamatory songs, and they serve a variety of p
