You have never wondered which birds are called singers? Judging by the name of those who know how to sing. But it turned out not so simple. But we will not keep the intrigue. Singing birds are a generalized name of birds capable of making pleasant sounds. There are about 5,000 species of them in total, 4 thousand. from which they belong to the detachment of sparrows.
Eurasia’s singing birds have about three hundred species of 28 families. The smallest is the yellow-headed queen, whose weight is 5-6g, and the most large is a raven, weighing up to one and a half kg. Surprised? Or, in your opinion, its sounds are not melodic? So let’s figure out who and for what ornithologists call the singers.
How sounds are created?
Unlike ordinary birds, the singers have a sirinx a complex device of the lower larynx, which has up to seven pairs of muscles. This organ is located in the chest, at the lower end of the trachea, closer to the heart. Sirinx contains a separate sound source in each bronch. Vocalization usually occurs during exhalation by setting in motion of medial and lateral folds at the cranial end of the bronch. The walls are pillows of loose connective tissue, which, when introduced by the air flow, cause vibration that generate sound. Each pair of muscles is controlled by the brain, which makes it possible to control the voice apparatus to the birds.
The main number of singing birds has small or medium sizes, a modest color and dense plumage. The beak is deprived of a wax. In insectivorous representatives, he is usually thin, bent. For graineared conical, strong.
Why do birds sing?
As a rule, only males sing in most singers. Vocalization includes a wide range of challenges to ensure communication. The most beautiful and melodic is the singing of males in the wedding period. It is believed that thereby he signals the readiness to mate with the female and warns his rivals that the lady is busy in this territory. As an option, scientists suggest that males with the help of singing maintain interest in females.
There are separate signals notifying other male individuals about the invasion of foreign territory. Often, singing is replaced by a physical battle, in which an objectionable opponent is simply pushed out.
In some species of birds, both partners are singing, this applies to those who have the same color or create a couple for life. Their connection is allegedly strengthened, communication with chicks and other individuals occurs. Most meadow species have “field” songs.
Voices of birds
Although the best singers, such as nightingale or thrush, some have sharp, repulsive voices or do not make sounds at all. The fact is that different species of birds are characterized by various volumes and tonality of the voice, which each species combines in the melody inherent only to it. Some birds are limited on several notes, whole octaves are subject to others. Birds whose singing consists of a slight set of sounds, for example, sparrows grown even in captivity, after reaching a certain age, begin to sing, as it should be. More gifted singers, such as nightingales, certainly have to learn this art from senior brothers.
An interesting fact has been established, which suggests that outwardly similar birds, singing is sharply different, and excellent in appearance may be similar. Such a feature protects birds during marriage games from mating with representatives of another species.
Singing birds of Eurasia
As already stipulated above, in Eurasia there are about 300 singing birds. They are found everywhere. If you look regional, then naturally, not everyone is adapted to one or another climatic features. Someone likes the mountain slopes, someone wide steppes.
The most common representatives of the lark, jammar, waxwood, drift, orphan, oatmeal, squeezes and dwellers:
Lark
Waxer
Martin
Wagtail
Thrush
Nightingale
Robin
Flyfoon
Starling
Oriole
Crow
Galka
Jay
Magpie
Some species are listed in the Red Book and are under threat of disappearance. These include paradise flywheel, big Chekan, oatmeal Yankovsky, painted tit and others.
