Nature is teeming with plenty of birds having remarkably beautiful
singing abilities. Not all birds have the gift to sing, however. Here, we
look at some of the best singing birds from around the world whose melodic
sounds will certainly please your ears.
God's Sweet Singing Birds. Enjoy! :)
Canary (Serinus canaria domestica) songbirds are one of the most popular
birds in the world and for good reason. These adorable little colorful
passerines are native to the Canary Islands of Spain and that is where
they have gotten their name from. Not many would know, perhaps, that
canary birds have been used as pets since the 17th century because of
their melodious tunes.
In fact, canaries can even learn the song notes
they are taught and also develop a unique way of singing. They possess
the ability to imitate a variety of songs and sounds that are in their
environment and can even learn musical and instrumental notes. Barring
the summer season, when they shed their feathers, these birds sing
throughout the year.
Males are generally better singers than females as their songs have
distinctive patterns and styles. There are several breeds of canaries
that are known for their exceptional singing prowess, especially the
roller and American canary singer breeds.
The Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) is a highly popular bird in India and has
been the subject of much romanticization among authors and poets. They are
members of the cuckoo family and are found in India, Bangladesh, Australia, the
Solomon Islands, and Southeast Asia. Asian koels are usually quite secretive and
mostly keep to the interior of dense trees in many habitats.
However, even if you can't see them you are sure to be enchanted by the male
koel's rhythmic, loud, and firm 'ko-el' sounds from deep within the trees even
in cities. They repeat the call in specific intervals which are most common
during the breeding season (from March to August). The females, who are not so
often heard, have a rhythmic 'kik-kik-kik' call.
Interestingly, males and females have separate calls and also look quite
different from one another. While male koels have a glossy black feather
with a lime-green bill, females have a blackish-brown coating with white dots
on the wings. Male koels usually sing to attract females and they often indulge
in competition with other males by making successively louder calls.
The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus) is known for its
loud, peculiar, and mournful wailing sound that can travel long distances.
This large cockatoo has an impressive black plumage with most body feathers
edged with yellow. They are quite common in South-Eastern Australia and people
living in the region are now familiar with their drawn-out and characteristic
'kee-ow...kee-ow...kee-ow' sounds.
Yellow-tailed black cockatoos are social birds and are also frequently found
around human habitations. They usually travel in groups of three or four and
their high-pitched calls help them stay connected with each other when they fly.
While searching for food, these birds make soft calls but they may screech if
they feel alarmed.
The common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is perhaps one of the most
quoted birds in literature as it has mesmerized numerous authors and poets
with its tuneful songs. Their powerful melodic crooning has become their
primary trait. Common nightingales are found in Asia, Europe, Africa, and
the Mediterranean and they normally sing during the breeding season. These
small passerine birds are also known to sing throughout the night in the
hope of serenading a mate.
Their pleasant sound has been described as the most delightful melody of
nature as it features rich notes and different sequences. In fact, the
nightingale can produce over 1000 different sounds. This is because the part
of the brain that is in charge of creating sound is quite big in these birds.
The notes, whistles, and tones it uses in its calls can be quite captivating
to listen to and have been mentioned in various poems, books, and operas.
A small vocal bird that is found all over the world, the Black-billed Magpie
(Pica hudsonia) is a member of the 'crow' family. They are very vocal birds
and are native to the western half of North America. These magpies make a
loud chattering and their two chief vocalizations are a harsh, rising call
along with a croaky chatter. The notes of the black-billed magpie sound
something like 'wock-woch, pjur, queg-queg-queg, and weer[weer'.
Since they are mostly found in flocks, the birds tend to make continuous
raucous calls. Another interesting part of this magpie is that they can
mimic the sounds of other birds. Black-billed magpies have black and
white-colored bodes and blue-green markings in the wings. They live in
tree-covered areas and mate with the same partner throughout their lives.
The Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) has a unique song that makes it
stand out among other singing birds. Found in eastern North America, the
Baltimore Oriole's sound has a soothing, fluid, and whistling tone.
Their songs generally have 6 syllables and a short series of paired notes
that are repeated 2-7 times, lasting 1-2 seconds. Their flute-like tones
have a rich note and can often vary from one individual to the other. The
male Baltimore Oriole sings to defend or establish its territory while
the females sing to communicate with her mate. If you are lucky, you can
get to witness mated pairs of Baltimore Orioles singing in a duet - a
truly mesmerizing spectacle.
The Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae) stands out because of
its massive size and enormous pale beak. It is the largest parasitic bird
in the world and is found in Eastern Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea.
It has a stifled, gargling call that can travel over long distances. These
birds make a loud 'kawk' sound followed by a swifter and softer 'awk-awk-awk'
note that is mostly heard at night.
Interestingly, when there are two Channel-billed cuckoos in the same area,
each one makes loud calls in different tones. Also known as the Storm-bird
or Stormbird, Channel-billed cuckoos tend to call all night long during the
breeding season. One of the other unique features of these birds is that
they lay their eggs in the nests of other species. These magnificent cuckoos
are one of the biggest non-water birds and can reach lengths of about 60 cm
(1.9 ft).
The song thrush (Turdus philomelos) is one of the most active singing birds
of the world and is found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. It got its name
because of its gift of singing. Song thrushes gather in groups and mostly
sing from the top branches of trees together. One of the curious features
of their singing is that they often repeat some phrases three or four times
and also use three to four types of pitches. Their voice is sweet and
distinctive and can even be heard in urban areas.
Song thrushes can be found in forest habitats, parks, gardens, and
agricultural lands. They are very small in size and quite light, weighing
only 100 grams (0.22 pounds). Despite their short size, these birds travel
long distances between seasons.
Robins (Turdus migratorius) are one of the most common birds in all North
America and their musical song is often associated with the sound of spring
in the country. This migratory songbird is known to produce some of the most
dulcet tunes in nature. The American robin has a string of 10 or so clear
whistles and also repeats some phrases three or four times.
They have several different calls, with the 'Tut; call, the 'Peak' call, the
'Whinny' call, the 'Squee' call, and the robin song being the most well-known
ones. The notes of the robin are delivered at a steady rhythm most of the
times but their songs are clearer and more rapid at dawn.
This beautiful songbird is native to the Northeastern United States and Canada
and can be easily recognized by the black and white colors of their body and
the dark red color triangle on the neck. The rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus
ludovicianus) is found in leafy woodlands and mostly stays out of sight as it
stays on the treetops.
You are bound to be hooked by their mellifluous singing even without catching
a glimpse of them. Both the male and female grosbeaks sing vivid, sweetly
whistled songs in different pitches. The male bird sings from the top branches
of the tree while the female generally sings during incubation, nest-building,
and brooding.
A single song of the rose-breasted grosbeak can last 6 seconds and include 20
notes or syllables. While American robins are more popular, many people find
the voice of the rose-breasted grosbeak to be more euphonious, especially
because of its rich whistled phrases.
For those of you who Want More FUN - Visit The Shangy Fun List! Variety is the
spice of life! The Shangy Fun List is an ezine packed full of Poems, Inspirational and
Heart Warming Stories. Jokes from G to slightly R, and Anything else that just
might make you SMILE! Join In The Free FUN!! ... :)
-To SHANGRALA-
