Why do birds sing? You might assume that birds sing because they are happy.
While birds might be happy, they sing in order to communicate. One reason they sing is
to stake a claim on territory. Birds sing to warn other birds to stay off their property. For
example, a robin might stake a claim on a piece of land which measures about 200 feet
wide by 200 feet long. This amount of land provides enough worms for the robin to feed
its family. A bird maintains singing perches around the outside edges of its territory. The
perches are high in the trees, so other birds can see and hear it. Birds also sing to find a
mate. The length and complexity of the mating song gives information about the fitness
of the bird. Healthy birds can sing longer, more complicated songs. Birds call to one
another in shorter vocalizations in order to warn of danger and to locate one another.
Birds sing instinctively. Young birds learn to perfect their songs by listening to adult
birds and interacting with other birds. Birds in a local area might learn variations in the
basic song which help them recognize other members of their group.