Why Don’T Bigger Birds Whistle And Sing?

bainbrig | 15:10 Wed 26th Dec 2018 | Animals & Nature

26 Answers

Well, up to say blackbirds or such, they wonderfully musical, but chickens? Geese?

Why the difference?

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kvalidir

Dunno Bainbrig but bird related I just saw a Buzzard very close up on the Ridegway road this morning, absolutely staggeringly impressive, never seen one that close up before in the wild and there have been attacks by them in Bromyard which everyone's been laughing about slightly but wouldn't fancy getting attacked by that out riding.

Mamyalynne

The distinguishing feature of whether a bird sings or calls revolves around the syrinx and of course the species.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songbird

ladybirder

See a Red Kite up close Kval, so so beautiful and equally if not more impressive. I had one follow me closely overhead, very interested to see what I was doing.
Stunning bird.

Old_Geezer

I reckon, lack of need. If usually in a group the species can pair up to breed easily, and are less concerned with carving out territory. Otherwise, sounds that attract a mate proved useful, as did reserving an area and it's resources; so evolution will see those who did so produced the next generation. Wherever there's a niche, nature gets it filled.

Sqad

Would you whistle and sing if you were to be destined for a Xmas dinner?
Smaller birds do not have that concern.

BANANASPLITS

Lol sqad

dunnitall

Brill sqad....I would be like...'erm cough..sing erm...choke...er....squawk .....help....gobb erm...cheep cheep. Dint work though... Basted turkey and browned breast.... Next chrimbo I will have a different ruse. SOZ I couldn't resist...x

goodgoalie

I think we should ask Nameless14

Chipchopper

I saw a chicken whistling Dixie, as it snuck out the back door of a KFC.

-- answer removed --

bainbrig

Question Author

I want Kvalidir’s 1915 answer as Best Answer ... but it’s gorn already.

douglas9401

Bigger birds don't whistle because the air has to go around instead of through gaps.

wildwood

I can assure you that those birds that sing don't do it to please us humans. It is an territorial claim and/or done to impress a female. Other birds impress with display and actions. Many birds of prey courting includes aerial acrobatics.

Seeing you mentioned the chicken..... The rooster crows in the morning to advertise that this is his patch and rivals better stay away. To impress a female (hen) it does a little dance around the hen all the while making a clucking sound and dropping the off-wing and scraping it - this distinct sound apparently turns the hen on. We are also familiar with the hen's clucking when she has laid an egg and many other soft clucks, especially when they have chicks.